


To Wake Up A Numb Heart

by SeliniErastis



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: platonic? romantic? read it as you like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 38,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25429093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeliniErastis/pseuds/SeliniErastis
Summary: Flame Princess' heart is dying, at the same time an old enemy starts a war and becomes a threat for all of Ooo. Finn is the hero of the land, but maybe the situation requires more than a hero. Will Finn be able to be selfless enough? Will Flame Princess survive and save her kingdom? (Sort of AU that doesn't take Breezy in account).
Relationships: Finn The Human & Flame Princess
Comments: 10
Kudos: 14





	1. Old Beats

The Fire Kingdom.

The formerly reign of evil, pride, lies and Shakespeare had turned into a land of light, smiles, future and honesty. Everything thanks to the New Flame King, whose policy had made the kingdom bright with a new righteous light.

Even after her bad experiences, even when the only person she could trust betrayed her, she found the force to canalize her anger and her strength in something useful and more powerful than just a blind revenge (she wouldn’t lie to herself: in the middle of her confusion that idea crossed by her mind; it lived a couple of seconds nevertheless and she didn’t bring it back). She wouldn’t let anyone else suffer in the way she did; she wouldn’t let anyone else’s life to be consumed by lies.

As she talked to the children in the kinder garden about the advantages of honesty over lies, good over evil, love over pride… she couldn’t avoid thinking about the source of her knowledge about that. She couldn’t avoid the memories about the lessons of righteousness she received and, along with those memories, the ones about dates and plays and hugs and…

She zoned out for just a second. Then, shrugged it off. There was no time for that. Responsibilities were first. Besides, as far as she knew, past wasn’t an option. Everything she had was the present and the future she was building.

Even when six years were behind her power, she needed to reassure it every year. And teaching by herself her policy to the children was the best way to do it. In their young and fertile minds she was planting the seeds for a better future, the seeds for a better life; better than hers.

* * *

“Princess, are you okay?”.

“Er… wha…? Yeah. I’m okay” responded the ruler of the fiery domains, “Why do you ask that, Cinnamon Bun?”.

The King and her closest assistant were heading back to the castle, walking in the streets between the citizens. The King didn’t like the idea of hiding from her servants. She wanted to be as close as it was possible to her people. That would mark a difference with her father’s physical and non-physical distance.

“You seemed a little down back there with the children. Does something hurt to you? It's your tummy, maybe?” said the pastry knight, playfully.

The king giggled.

“No, CB” replied the girl with a smile, “I’m just… tired. I need to take a little rest”.

“Very well, your highness. I'll tell the castle crew to prepare your room” said Cinnamon Bun before leaving her side to get rapidly to the castle.

 _“If something hurts me, I don’t think it would be my tummy”_ she thought, putting her right hand in the lower part of her chest, remembering, but also deciding to ignore, the needling pain she felt three days ago in the same area, “ _Some rest should do_ ”.

* * *

Cinnamon Bun entered in the ruler's chambers without hesitation. No matter it was a forbidden area even for him, the groans of pain and the sonorous struggle in which the young king was shouldn't be ignored.

She was writhing in her bead and occasionally, when she wasn't clenching her teeth like wanting to break them, screams of pain escaped from her mouth; but still, they weren't long. Even in that condition, she didn't want to look weak.

“My lady! What is it? What do you feel?”.

“My... my chest... it hurts” she moaned between heavy breathings.

“Hurry! We need a doctor in the royal chambers! Now!” yelled CB on the phone to the castle crew.

Within seconds, a group of three fire elementals attended to the room. Every one of them carried a black small bag. One of them checked with her hand the ruler's temperature, who was calmer than before.

“She's too much over the normal” said the nurse.

Other one of them checked her heart beats.

“Erratic beats. I can't catch a balance in the rhythm” said the young boy with the stethoscope.

“Her skin is turning dim” said whom seemed to be the head of the group, “We need to take her to the hospital right now!” commanded her.

In the most deep of the secrets, they and Cinnamon Bun took the king to a secret room in the subterranean levels of the castle; a special room made exclusively for emergencies like those.

She was moaning, fighting for breath. The pain in her chest was now just a numb sensation; it felt like her heart wasn't beating at all. She took CB hands and the knight could see the terror in her eyes. She felt like taking a seat in the Death Bus and she didn't want to. There was still lot of things she needed to do. A thing she wanted to do.

In the medical room, FP's skin began to change its colors. From a grayish orange to a very lit up red. After that, her breath went back to normal and her heart was beating as usual, as everyone in the room could see in the cardiac monitor. Flame Princess fell in unconsciousness, but she was stable again.

“What happened?” asked the nurse.

“I... couldn't say” responded the leader doctor, “I had never seen a fire elemental being that sick”.

“Could you find out what it was? There certainly will be a second seizure” said Cinnamon Bun.

“I'm afraid... we can't. We had not seen anything like this before. I'm sure there's nothing in medical books about it, I have read them all. Besides, we don't have the technology to investigate”

“I know who has it” said Cinnamon Bun.

* * *

“Finn, you shouldn't come with me to this”.

“Why not? Is my duty as champion of the Candy Kingdom”.

Both Princess Bubblegum and Finn were walking towards the Fire Kingdom, near the border with the Grasslands.

Early in the morning, Bonnibel received a phone call from her former citizen Cinnamon Bun informing her about the health problems of the Flame King. She couldn't deny the excitement that filled her scientific curiosity. She would be allowed to analyze a fire elemental! Due to the pride of that people, she would be the first no-fire-person to do it. In the other hand, Finn had no idea of why they were going to the fiery domains. He just assumed it was a diplomatic issue.

“Are you sure you come for that and only for that?” asked Bonnibel.

“Yes. Why would I come if it's not for that?” asked Finn with a grin.

“Well, I dunno. Maybe to try a move on the Fire King?” asked PB, sarcastically.

“Oh, boy! Can you, please, not say things like that?” he complained.

“Sure! If you don't do things like that”.

“I'm maturer. I'm over her, I swear”.

“Let's see it, then. Here we are”.

Just in that moment, the young hero realized they were right in front of the entrance to the castle of the Fire Kingdom. He felt the air in his lungs escaping and he tried to get it back with deep breaths from his mouth. His heart was beating like it used to do in bittersweet memories from six years ago. His poker face fell just in an instant and his eyes were lost into infinity.

Bonnibel had seen that gaze in him many times before. She knew that was the look he had when he gazed at the sunset, with obvious thoughts about certain girl. She felt some pity for him, but she also felt the necessity to help Finn to control his emotions or her golden opportunity could fly away like a butterfly scared of a predator.

“Finn, snap it out!”.

“Wha... what? What happened?”.

“Stay behind me and don't say a word unless the Fire King or I tell you to do so. Do you understand?”.

“Yeah, yeah, I do” he said, although he was still lost in his thoughts.

Princess and hero entered in the hall of the big castle made out of volcanic rock. Even when they were wearing their especial outfits, they could still feel some of the heat coming from the ground caused by the lava rivers running under the castle and practically the whole kingdom. No one was there to receive them, the place was empty. They both began to think they arrived early or late; or that it was a joke all along. After some uncomfortable seconds of silence and insecurity, Cinnamon Bun appeared from the left wing of the hall.

“Welcome, Princess Bubblegum... and Finn”, he said, confused by the presence of the human. “Come with me, please”.

Finn and Bubblegum followed Cinnamon Bun into the left wing of the castle, from where he had come. They walked by a corridor with walls filled of portraits of old and important fire people, all of them with rough and angry faces although some of them had smiles, creepy smiles. The walk was silent and Finn always kept himself behind Bubblegum, as she commanded before. But, at some point, he saw something.

Feet ahead, there was Flame Princess. She was being transported in a wheel chair by a fire nurse to another room in the same corridor. She was wearing the white dress she used under her armor. The human left his emotions take over him and he ran towards the young king even when Princess Bubblegum yelled at him.

“Flame Princess!” he yelled, and stopped her run some inches away from her.

He saw her. He saw her expression. She was confused, surprised. Finn felt those amber eyes laid on him with a big weight. He saw something more in her eyes. Anger? Sadness? It was almost a heartbroken expression.

“Finn?” she whispered and left the wheel chair, putting her feet in the ground. She approached to him. “Why? Why after so many years? The only thing I’ve heard of you in six years was a gossip about your arm and then... nothing...”.

“I- I thought...” the words were in his brain, but they got stuck in his throat; he stopped feeling his heart, he stopped feeling everything. Any corporal sensation was gone. “I thought you hated me” he finally said.

“Hate you?” she asked, almost offended, “How could I hate you?” she asked with a frown.

“Because I was really really dumb back then, ok?” he said, “I acted like a clown. You needed me when your father tried to take over you and the only thing I did was to fool around and trying moves on you. And that's why I didn't come or talked to you in these six years. I didn't want to force you to look my stupid face again”, his words came out as he was looking away, to the walls, caressing his left arm with his right hand, ashamed.

Flame King's features softened. She remembered that day and, of course, she remembered what Finn was talking about. The memories weren't pleasant, but the fact that he was apologizing for those actions made her appreciate the human boy a little bit more. She put her hands in Finn's shoulders, prompting him to look directly at her eyes. Now her face had a smile and her eyes had a different bright.

“I missed you, fool”, she said in a friendly way.

“I thought... you didn't want to see me ever again”.

“My Glob! What did you do to the Finn I knew? He would know I would never keep such feelings towards him!”.

Finn giggled.

“Yeh... I've been missing you too” he responded with a smile.

The Flame King took his left hand between hers.

“I want to see you more often here in the future. I really need a friend to hangout and take a break from all this royal stuff”.

In the back of the that scene, Cinnamon Bun's features cringed in worry. After so many years at her side, she recognized every single tone in her voice, every single non-spoken feeling reflected in her face. He could see her hope speaking. The hope of recovering a life for her and only for her, without chains. But, would she make it? Would she overcome her current state? That was what made Cinnamon Bun feel a black hole in his chest.

“Okay, it's time to check on you, Flame Princess” said Bubblegum, approaching her. Her voice was enough to annoy and make the princess uncomfortable. She didn't want or ask for help from the sugary princess, but Cinnamon insisted that she was her only chance to know what was happening with her.

“Ugh... fine” she muttered, giving up her pride.

Both the princess and the king entered in a room where other fire doctors were awaiting for them.

“Wait, what? What's happening? FP? Are you okay?”. Finn tried to enter with them but was stopped by Bubblegum.

“You must wait out here, okay? Don't fool around or make a mess or...”.

“I'm not a child anymore, Peebles” he complained.

“Then I don't need to repeat it to you. I can't believe I'm doing this but... Cinnamon Bun, keep an eye on him, would you?”.

“Sure. But I think that won't be necessary. Will it, Finn?”.

“No” he said.

“Good. See you... maybe in a few hours” she said before closing the door just in front of Finn.

The human sighed and walked towards Cinnamon Bun.

“What is this all about, CB?”.

“You shouldn't be here” the knight responded.

“Wha...? What are you talking about?” asked Finn, taken aback by Cinnamon Bun’s attitude.

“I only called the princess. You weren't called and I honestly don't know why you are here” said Cinnamon Bun, prompting a hatred feeling from the human towards him, “But if you wanna know... I couldn't respond to that. That's why I called her. Only she has the intelligence and the material to find out what's wrong within her. Sorry Finn, I don't know what is happening with her”.

Finn's face softened it features. Worry took over him and he glanced at the door of the room, where the future of the princess was uncertain.

“Does she talk about me?” Finn asked, but several seconds passed and he didn't receive any response, “Cinnamon Bun?”. When the human turned around, he just saw the King's knight making his way away from him.

* * *

The princess carried with her a small bag which contained several metallic capsules. When a button in one of their extremes was touched, the princess threw the capsule at some place of the room and then, after a sudden non-harmful explosion, appeared different components of her laboratory. Bubblegum, with her fireproof suit, proceeded with the examination.

The princess was excited like she never was before. Taking blood samples from her, checking her heartbeats in a machine, even checking her temperature was something new for her and for everyone foreign to the Fire Kingdom. However, she was still a scientist and she was working trying to find the illness of the fiery ruler. So, she was working as best as she could, writing any useful fact in her notebook and making a connection out of all.

More than an hour passed.

“Are we done yet?” asked Flame Princess, annoyed.

“The first part is done. There's only one more thing I need to check on you. I thought it wasn't going to be necessary but...”.

“What is it?”.

“Your power”.

Princess Bubblegum put several fire proof sensors in every crucial part of the king's body (at least that was what she said) and made her enter in a small room adjacent to the nursery.

“The walls should resist the heat I need you to liberate” said Princess Bubblegum trough a glass, “When I tell you, expel as much power as you can. My computer will record its level and, luckily, will help us to find out what is happening with you. Ok?”. Flame Princess just nodded. “Now!”.

Almost immediately, Bubblegum's lectures went crazy. Flame Princess's power seemed to be liberated with all its might at the beginning. It settled down later and began to rise again after a few seconds. But the ruler didn't last much. Her power decreased after thirty seconds and it didn't rise again. Much worse, it was decreasing with each passing second.

“It's enough. Come back here” said the candy ruler.

Flame Princess settled down her flames and went back to the infirmary. She knew something went wrong in the middle of the test. She felt how her power decreased and even when she tried to expel more, it didn't respond. Her power abandoned her.

“What did you find? Something useful?” asked the Flame King.

“I think I did. But first I need to compare it with previous records”.

“Previous?”.

“Do you remember the time you and Finn kissed and almost destroyed the world?”.

“Did you...? How?” asked Flame Princess with anger, but embarrassed by the violation to her privacy.

“I have any kind of sensors all over Ooo that record any useful information for the well-being of the land. After that incident I checked the records and saved them for future applications... like this one” said Bubblegum proudly. “Ok, I have it. Whoa...”.

“What does that 'whoa' means? Is something bad or something good?”.

“I thought about this... but I didn't thought it would in fact happen”.

“What? All I see in your screen are numbers and letters and strange shapes!” replied Flame Princess, not understanding the equations in the screen.

“Flame Princess... I think your heart is dying”.

The sentence was like a rock tied up to her neck that dragged her down. The ground under her feet suddenly disappeared and her head spun around, making her lose the sense of equilibrium. Her dry throat requested hydration that came from the saliva in her dry mouth.

“Well... everybody's heart dies a little everyday...”.

“Yes. But yours is dying faster than it should” Bubblegum said. “It's almost like the second law...” she mumbled to herself. “The state of equilibrium in which your heart was when Finn liberated you had a low level of entropy, mostly because your emotions were more open and you tended to expel them easily. But then, you passed to this state of equilibrium B and in every change of state the entropy of the system tends to increase. Besides, since your emotions aren't as expelled as before, that makes your heart some kind of isolated system, which only increases the entropy”.

“What?” asked Flame Princess, confused.

“Entropy is the level of degradation of a system. In this case, your heart. When you passed from happy, passionate, carefree and in-love yourself to the serious, responsible and emotionally distant yourself...”.

“I'm not emotionally distant!”.

“...the degradation of your heart increased. Your emotions are not as expelled as before, which concentrates all the energy inside you, degrading it faster”.

Flame Princess was speechless after that. She couldn't believe it. She was expecting some kind of weird disease that, although painful and dangerous, could be cured with medicine or some strange potion hid in a dungeon, protected by an evil master of dungeons. But reality was different and fear began to spread to her whole body. Her legs felt numb and cold while some heat concentrated in her head, shoulders and chest. She took sit in one of the chairs of the nursery and put her head between her hands.

“Is... Is there a way to stop this?” she asked.

“Maybe. If we could put you back in your previous state or something close... it could work. I don't really know, to be honest”.

“And what you want me to do? Date Finn again?”.

“Well, he's outside...”.

Flame Princess sat up from her chair, walked towards Bubblegum and looked right at her face.

“What the bjork? Are you kidding me?” hissed the king.

“Look, I'm not telling you to date-date him again. But obviously he can trigger your emotions easily. In fact, he can do that with everyone...” said Bubblegum, smiling. “And you can trigger his emotions easily too. Just a simple play date to test my theory, just today”.

Flame Princess sighed while she returned to her chair. She rested her chin in her hands and sighed again. She wasn't sure of doing what Bubblegum thought necessary. She was confused and overwhelmed for all the things that had happened in just a few minutes. Even a simple play date could be dangerous for certain reasons: she didn't want to give Finn false hopes. But it was the only way.

“Ok. But just a play date!” said Flame Princess.

“Didn't you want exactly that a few hours ago?”.

“I did! But you made it weird! Geez...”.

* * *

“Ow! This is tight!” complained Flame Princess.

“This bracelet is going to send information about your vital signs to my computer while you are spending time with Finn. It will help to gather more information about your condition”.

“I thought spending time with me would cure her” said Finn.

“Finn, can I talk to you for a moment?” said Bubblegum, making a gesture with her hand, inviting the human to a distance in which the fiery ruler couldn't hear them.

“Hey! You are in my domains. No secrets”

“We are not hiding nothing from you, Flame King. It's just something between friends” said Bubblegum nonchalantly.

“What is it, P-bubs?”.

“Finn, I already explained you. This is not a game! Stop being a child” she whispered.

“What? I'm not a child!”.

“Then don't act like one! Being with you is not going to magically cure her. This is just a test. And we will see later if the time she spent with you helped”.

“I'm waiting” said Flame Princess, her arms crossed.

“Ok. Go!”.

“Go where?” asked Finn.

“Go frolic or something. Have fun and give me a lot of information to analyze, please” said Princess Bubblegum while she returned to the castle.

“Now what?” asked Flame Princess to Finn.

“Um... would you like to... go to a... dungeon?”.

“Finn, this thing is supposed to make my emotions go like crazy. And you ask me if I want to go to a dungeon? The most boring thing for me in the universe?” she said with her flames rising a little, showing her annoyance.

“Well... I was thinking I could let you be the leader and doing everything in the way you wanted”.

Flame Princess's fire dance calmed and her features softened. She was surprised by Finn's proposition.

“Would... would you allow me? From the beginning?”, a glimmer in her eyes.

“I can't lie in this kingdom, much less in front of its king” said Finn with a smile and offering his hand to the ruler, who took it, touched deeply by the human's allowance. Her flames grew just a little.

* * *

At some place in the Grasslands, the ground started getting hotter and hotter. The grass became black little by little and started bending. After a few seconds, a portion of the ground was sent into the skies along with the body of a blue ogre, engulfed in flames. From the hole made by the fire, came Flame Princess, floating; and Finn the Human followed her, crawling in the dirt.

“That will teach you to not call me little princess in a disrespectful way! I could be a princess but I'm not your princess!” shouted Flame Princess at the still flying ogre.

“FP, that was sick! That was awesome! That was sickawesome!” exclaimed Finn.

“You could have seen more of that if you had let me be the leader more often” said Flame Princess with a smile, putting her feet on the ground. “Oh boy! Dusk is falling, it's getting late. We should return to...”.

“ _Finn, Flame Princess_ ” said Bubblegum's voice from the FP's bracelet, “ _I've gathered enough information. You can return to the Fire Kingdom_ ”.

“Well, I said it first” said Flame Princess, deciding not to reply.

While the human and the fiery ruler were returning to the Fire Kingdom, the princess couldn't hide her excitement and the whole walk back became a remembrance of what was made some hours before.

“Did you see how I sent that ogre flying?”.

“Yes, it was just some minutes before”.

“And how I resolved that puzzle that opened that door?”.

“We couldn't go forward without that”.

“And the room full sword fighters?”.

“I helped a lot there”.

“I didn't know you could cast a telekinetic arm! Oh! And remember when I saved you from that floor that went down?”.

“Um... I... yes...”.

Soon, even before the night fell completely, the two young adults reached the gates of the Fire Kingdom castle, where Princess Bubblegum and Cinnamon Bun were waiting for them.

“I'm going to study the results of all the tests, Flame Princess. I hope I can come with a preliminary solution in a week”.

“Thank you, Princess Bubblegum” she said with nothing but a royal courtesy. “Come to visit me more often, would you?” she asked to Finn.

“Defs! I'll call you to see if you have time”.

“Well, see you soon then” she said with a smile and then waved a goodbye when Finn retired at Bubblegum's side.

“CB, can you make changes in my schedule to see Finn once a week?” requested Flame Princess once inside the castle.

“I think I can” he responded but, deeply within him, he felt guilty of not communicating his worry and, maybe, of giving her false hopes.

That night, Flame Princess went to to the bed with happiness filling her soul and a big grin in her face. However, the happiness didn't last much, for the next morning she had another seizure.


	2. I Am A Hero

His arm was gone. Definitely gone. Not even the little flower that was born six years ago nor the metallic arm he got from Princess Bubblegum.

Bad end. He fell on the ground with a mortal wound. He couldn't die, at least not like this. As the hero he was, he got himself in his knees and lifted up his head to see right into the eyes of his rival when the cold steel finished his life. The vision in front of him was enough to kill him.

A warrior of dark-brown armor was holding a sword, engulfed in flames. Finn couldn't see the face of the warrior, just a shadow with long hair floating along the wind. The warrior lifted the sword, ready to finish the task.

_“Wake up!”._

* * *

“Wha...?”.

“Finn, wake up! You are drooling in my shoulder!” complained Princess Bubblegum.

There was no way Bubblegum could escape from that gross experience since the both of them were traveling in The Morrow towards the Fire Kingdom.

“Uh... I'm sorry Peebles” said Finn with a sleepy voice and a yawn, “I didn't sleep too well last night. I... keep having weird dreams...”.

“The warrior ones?”.

“Yes. Do you think that I'm dreaming this so often could mean something?”.

“Well, ancient scientists and psychologists tried to find out a way to interpret dreams, like messages from our subconscious. But I find their methods very questionable. But... has the Cosmic Owl appeared on them?” she asked.

“Nope. They just... happen, like any other dream. Just that I have dreamed that for two weeks now”.

“Then I don't think you need to worry about it. Or at least that's what people say... Look we are almost there” she said, pointing at the entrance of the subterranean kingdom where seconds later The Morrow landed.

They put on their fireproof suits and entered in the Fire Kingdom.

When they arrived to the castle, they were received once more by Flame King's knight, Cinnamon Bun. They were escorted by the knight through several halls until they arrived to a chamber where the Flame King was laid down on a stone bed while an old fire woman was practicing some kind of ritual on her, expelling incense and making strange chants.

“Why is that woman here? What is she doing?” asked Princess Bubblegum, infuriated. “That kind of practices could make her health worse than it is already. They don't follow a method, they don't do empiric observations. I thought...”.

“Princess, while you are in this kingdom you must respect its rules and traditions” replied Cinnamon Bun. “Flame Princess's brother found out about her condition during the breakfast and demanded she was taken here, with the witch Kala. She has treated the Royal Family in their worst diseases since centuries ago. You will respect that while you are here. Besides, I don't think you want to begin an incident that could lead to war, do you?”.

The princess gave a death stare at Cinnamon Bun, both surprised and even more infuriated, mainly because he was right in his late statement. She didn't say anything else.

“ _Pieces are moving.._.” mumbled the old woman to herself, “Please, everybody in this room need to gather around me. I have something important to tell you about the little Phoebe...”.

“Phoebe? Is she called...?” asked Finn.

“So what? Are you going to tell us how to _magically_ cure her? How to _summon the spirits_ that are gonna clean her _vital essence_?” asked Bubblegum sarcastically to Kala.

“I've seen people like you” said Kala. “Data sorcerers. Too much brain. You seem to ignore the fact that the heart is the one who keeps the mind alive. And after all, is her heart what is in danger here and now” she said, calmly.

“My data can save her life! My data can do something about it! Your beliefs can't help her. They have no foundation!”.

“Then I think you have come here with the solution, don't you?”.

“I have a _theory_ ” Bubblegum stressed, “And that's more than you could ever get”.

“Mind to share it?”.

“Of course! Flame Princess? Can you come here? I have a theory about your sickness”.

“It better be the right one or I swear I will caramelize you with my own fire” said the fiery girl, approaching to the group of people.

“It's simple. You need a heart transplant. You only need a young donor that has died recently and bingo! No more problems”.

“That's impossible” replied Flame Princess's brother, “Our laws strictly forbid to use someone else's organs. Individuality cannot be violated. You take what life gives you, like it or not”.

“Bull gunk!” yelled Princess Bubblegum, “You people can't be so dogmatic!”.

“Princess, I told you to respect the laws and traditions of this kingdom while you are in it” said Cinnamon Bun.

“Well, darling, it seems like your theory is not going to help as you thought. I'm sorry” said Kala, nonchalantly, “Besides, she can't get any heart in this kingdom or any other. Little Phoebe’s heart is unique, something even I haven't seen, just heard. The only way to save her is going to the Behram Temple”.

“The Behram Temple?” asked Flame Princess's brother, surprised, “I thought it was just a legend”.

“Fantastic! More magic!” exclaimed Bubblegum.

“Wait, what is the Behram Temple?” asked Flame Princess.

“How? You don't know about it?” inquired Kala.

“Mom... mom never got to tell her the story” replied Flame Princess' brother.

Kala sighed.

“Sometimes I forget how deprived your childhood was, my little girl” she said, saddened for those same memories that the young king preferred to not bring back. Both of them shared furtive tears in their eyes.

“Many centuries ago...” began the priestess, “...existed the first generation of fire elementals. They were the most powerful fire elementals that ever existed. They were kind and lovable people. When the first of them died, they emigrated from their original place to here. But first, they created the temple, in honor to that first member of such a powerful race. In the Behram Temple you can find the purest fire that has ever existed, the fire of our older ancestors: the Roaz family. It has the physical form of our hearts. Some say the Roaz blood remains in some inhabitants of this kingdom, but nobody is sure”.

“Wait!” said Bubblegum, “So, there's a heart in this temple? A real elemental matrix? And we can transplant it to her?”.

“Whatever you want to call it. Yes, there is”.

“Awesome! For once your kind of people are useful. Where's this temple?”.

“Nobody knows” said Flame Princess's brother, “By the time we find it... it could be too late” he said.

Flame Princess put her hands on her chest, feeling how all her hope was going away in little pieces.

“I know where it is”.

Everyone in the room stared at Cinnamon Bun.

“You... how?” asked Flame Princess.

“I investigated. When I arrived here, I tried to learn everything I could about this kingdom and its culture. I went to the Royal Library and, reading some books, I could determine where the Behram Temple could exactly be”.

Flame Princess ran to her friend and gave him a tight hug.

“You've saved me, Cinnamon Bun”.

“Not yet, my princess. There's still a lot of things to do” he said tenderly, and then separated from her. “According to what I could find, the road to the temple is full of dangers. Only the bravest warriors can get to there. Only a fearless heart can defy and overcome the tramps and dangers of that place”.

“Then I should go” said Finn with a serious expression. Everyone stared at him, just like they stared before at Cinnamon Bun. “I'm a hero. I'm the bravest hero here. I've defeated the most deadly foes in these lands. There's nothing that can stop me”. Finn walked towards Flame Princess and took her hands. “Much less if that saves your life” he said, looking at her eyes. The king was totally surprised by his determination.

“That's just what I wanted you to say, Finn” said Cinnamon Bun, putting his hand in the human's shoulder and Finn smiled. “We sail today before dusk. Get ready” and the knight left.

“You two are the best friends I could ever have” said Flame Princess, before hugging both CB and Finn.

Finn's smile faded away.

* * *

“Why? Why always him? Why does he put himself between me and her? I'm sick of him!” muttered Finn, walking alone by one of the corridors of the castle. “This is my opportunity. This is the chance I've been waiting for years. And he has to ruin it! Again! I swear I wouldn't mind to...”.

He felt something powerful growing inside of him, but it was wrong. He then looked at his arm, his right arm telekinetic arm, going through his fireproof suit but without damaging it. It appeared and it had big thorns coming out of it. He was scared of his own thoughts; those that leaded his arm to appear in such a way. He calmed himself, managing to make disappear his arm some seconds later.

The human sat on the ground and leaned against the wall; he closed his eyes and tried to ignore every thought he had in his mind at that time.

“Is it hard, isn't it? The struggle of fighting yourself”.

Finn opened his eyes when he heard that voice and saw the old priestess in front of him.

“Mistress Kala” he exclaimed and got up on his feet, “Why do you say that?”.

“I've lived too many years. I know exactly how does it look when your own demons try to kill your reason and use your skin as their disguise. Tell me, young man, what is bothering you?”.

“Bothering me? Nothing!” he responded, stoically, “Nothing can hurt me. I'm a hero. I'm tough. I am... I am...” he began to stutter when Kala, smiling, was giving him a stare of 'I don't believe you'.

“I am...” he sighed, defeated. “I'm not sure if I can do this, ok? I waited so long for a chance like this and now... I don't know if I have what is needed to accomplish this mission. I've been acting like a big poo brain and I can't stop it. Save her life. Can I do it?”.

“You shouldn't ask me if you can do it, young man. You should ask, to yourself: why couldn't you do it? When you have the response for that, you will able do anything. Tell me: are you going to save my little Phoebe?”.

Finn looked at her, perplexed, overwhelmed by the confidence she was putting on him with her smile. But he was determined, he said it before and he meant it.

“Yes, mistress Kala. I'm going to save her”.

“In that case...” Kala took out some sparkly dust from one of the bags she was carrying around with herself and blow it from her hand to Finn, making him cough, “...my blessings for you, young knight” and she went away.

Finn took out his phone from his back pack and called Jake.

“Jake? Are you in the tree house? I need you to bring me my adventure pack to the Fire Kingdom. Yes, the Fire Kingdom. I got another... I _think_ I got another chance with her”.

* * *

( _That night, far away from the Fire Kingdom_ )

“What do you mean she's not in jail? And what do you mean she's lost?” yelled the Slime King.

“We... I... I don't know what to say, your Majesty. We were on our duty when, suddenly, we felt sleepy and nobody of us could resist it. By the time we woke up, she was not there”.

“Do you understand the dangerous situation we are facing right now?” inquired the King, “She's out there! She could be doing anything! Glob forbid she finds the...”.

A thunderous explosion cut his words. Two walls and half of the roof of the office were destroyed. The king flew away, fell on his side and crawled to the wall, breathing heavily. Between the fog of the destruction and the fire, he could see a familiar shape approaching to him.

“Hello, father. Did you miss me?”.

“No... Please, Blargheta, darling, don't do it”.

“I've waited too many years to claim what is mine by right!” she yelled, “And if I can't do it by the law, I'll do it by the arms”.

In that moment, a dozen of armed men entered in the room, surrounding them.

“Arrest him” she commanded.

Two of the men took the king in custody and lifted him from the ground. His daughter approached him.

“Tell me where is she and you won't suffer... too much”.

The king didn't say a word, but his stare screamed disappointment and anger.

“I'm so sorry, father” she said, taking his crown and throwing it away by the giant hole in the wall. “Take him to the prison. Now, nobody can stop the rise of _my_ empire. The Slime Empire”.

“Your Majesty” said a soldier, approaching to the new ruler, “Our men and tanks are ready. Where are we going to strike first?”.

“Let's hurt some prides” she said with a smile. “We march to the Candy Kingdom in a few hours”.


	3. War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to post, hard week :P Now... things get really tough for our heroes. Hope you like it!

“Whoa, wait! You can't... We can't do that! I'm really sorry, but in situations like these there's nothing the Candy Kingdom can do about it”.

“Please! I just need to hide from her”.

“You are not hiding if she knows where you are. And if she knows, that represents a serious threat to this kingdom”.

“Root Beer Guy, I beg you! I'm in despair! Look into your heart!”.

“I'm sorry, Slime Princess. I normally would, but the safety and well-being of the whole kingdom is my responsibility. If I give you refuge, I'm risking the lives of all the candy citizens”.

“That's Bubblegum's policy, and she's not here at the moment. Just, for a second, what if you use that power and... take some liberties” said Slime Princess, almost seductively.

“I'm sorry, ma’am. I'm a married man. Besides, I can't break the laws of my ruler. She lend a big responsibility on me and I swear to Grod I won't let her down”.

In that exact moment, a big explosion could be heard and felt in the office where Root Beer Guy and Slime Princess were. The leader of the Banana Guards even fell from his chair and, once he was in his feet again, he picked up the interphone.

“What was that?” he screamed through the phone.

Between the chaotic screams and gibberish from the Banana Guards, he could recognize two words: “Tanks! Army!”.

“My Glob! She's here! She's here!” said Slime Princess, terrified.

“I suppose I can't give you refuge anymore” said Root Beer Guy, going out from the office.

“Where are you going?” yelled the princess.

“My kingdom is under attack. I have to watch our condition. I suggest you to hide with LSP” he said before starting to run into the corridor.

“Oh no! I prefer staying with you than going with her!” she said and went after Root Beer Guy.

Once in the kingdom's defensive walls, after running through several scared Banana Guards, Root Beer Guy was able to see what was happening. The north wall had been damaged, but not destroyed. Dozens of tanks were surrounding the kingdom, along with hundreds of units of slime soldiers. At the center of all the units, facing the main entrance of the kingdom, was a tank bigger than the other, in which Blargetha was standing on.

“I demand to see Princess Bubblegum, ruler of this kingdom, to arrange the terms of her rendition and occupy this land in the name of the Slime Empire. You have one hour. Otherwise, we will open fire” said Blargetha through a megaphone.

Root Beer Guy took a megaphone from a Banana Guard to reply.

“I will tell Princess Bubblegum. We will consider your offer” he said, calmly.

“But Bubblegum is not here! What are you going to do?” said Slime Princess.

“Thank Glob they gave us time. Banana Guards! Give the order for every citizen to evacuate the kingdom. Amber code. Everyone must leave. Lead them to Finn and Jake's house, that's neutral territory” ordered Root Beer Guy and the guards left immediately.

“Can't you use the Gumball Guardians?”.

“Using the Gumball Guardians before the hour ends would be a war declaration. I'm not going to start a war. Besides, with those tanks it would be really easy to put them down in no time and citizens could get harmed in collateral damage”.

After 45 minutes, the kingdom was totally deserted. The citizens were leaving from the south wall, where the invaders could not see their departure. Carrying their most important belongings, they were heading towards the tree house in the Grasslands.

“All the candy people are out of the kingdom. What are your orders now, chief?”.

“Leave. Every Banana Guard must leave. Don't carry your weapons with you or the Grasslands will stop being neutral territory. You should leave too, Slime Princess”.

“What? But... what is going to happen with you?”.

“Don't worry. It's my duty to defend this kingdom or die trying. Go! Now!”.

“Good luck” said Slime Princess before leaving with the confused Banana Guards.

“Even those thanks are too much for you” said Root Beer Guy.

“I know. And I don't like that” replied a robotic voice. “Do you have a plan?”.

“Kinda. It's complicated and it takes a lot of time. But if it works, we will save the kingdom and maybe all Ooo”.

* * *

“Whoa... I... I don't even know what to say, man!” said Jake.

“I know. I couldn't believe at first too. It was... terrible to hear such things” replied Finn, “But, if there's a chance to save her, of course I'm gonna try it”.

“And you do good, Finn. It's amazing you are doing this. I gotta say I'm proud of you, bro!”.

“Thanks, Jake. But I'm still mad Cinnamon Bun is coming. I think he's gonna try to steal all the credit to gain points with FP”.

“Oh my Glob... Finn!” exclaimed Jake.

“I can't believe it either” said Finn, totally misinterpreting his brother’s expression, “He's just going to lead me there but it seems he wants more. I've never trusted on him since he become... well, more clever”.

“Finn!” called Cinnamon Bun from the ship, “Get ready. We are leaving in 5 minutes”.

Princess Bubblegum, Flame Princess and her brother, Cinnamon Bun, Finn, Jake and Kala were in the docks of the Fire Kingdom, in the only part of its territory that had contact with the sea. It was a small and untidy, as the only ship that was there, given that the fire army wasn't used to use the sea as a battle field or even as a merchant territory. However, the ship was prepared as best as possible to serve into the important adventure that was about to begin.

Cinnamon Bun was still carrying things into the ship when Finn arrived with a pair of bags, ready to aboard.

“Guys, I wanna give you something” said Flame Princess, calling the attention of Finn and Cinnamon Bun.

She handed them a jar with a candle inside. Finn recognized it immediately.

“This is one of my favorite candles. It helps me a lot when everything in the horizon looks hard. Its smell will calm you and help you to sleep. The flame... I turned it on myself with the best fire I could summon. It will never turn off. It will help you to... find the light when everything is dark, I suppose” she said and smiled innocently.

“Thank you, princess” said Finn and Cinnamon Bun at the same time.

“We are gonna keep it where we can see it at anytime” said the pastry knight.

“Now, this is important guys. I made as much research as I could. I already told Flame Princess. Her energy is degrading faster with each passing day. Right now, my calculations tell me she has... four weeks before her heart gives up. You have a big responsibility on your shoulders now” said Bubblegum in all seriousness, “I don't need to tell you what will happen if you don't accomplish this mission. My blessings are with you”.

Cinnamon Bun, Finn and a captain got into the ship, took away the boarding table and lifted up the anchors. The ship sailed while the people in the land waved them and hoped for the best.

“Finn!” yelled Princess Bubblegum, “Don't screw it up!”.

Finn gave her a thumbs up and a smile.

“Do you believe we can do this?” asked Cinnamon Bun.

“Of course! One week to get there, one week to find the temple, kick some butts and get the heart... She's going to be better even a week before the time PB said”.

“Is good to see so much optimism from you, Finn” replied Cinnamon Bun, “Let's see if you keep it when we arrive to the Hopeless Borderlands”.

“What are you talking about?” said Finn, puzzled by his companion statement.

“They don't call them 'Hopeless' for nothing. I will explain you later. Right now, I could use some rest” he said with a yawn and headed towards the rooms.

Finn remained in the deck, watching the shore get lost in the distance.

“Flame Princess...” he whispered, “I'm going to save you... and we will be together again”.

* * *

The candy cannons were fired from the north wall and accomplished to destroy some tanks from the slime army.

“How many tanks did we lose?” asked Blargetha.

“Just three!” replied one of her commanders.

“So this is the way you like it, eh Princess? Then I will be pleased to follow your game. Fire! Now!”.

At the order, ten tanks in the front line fired against the north wall. Two, three, four times; with each round of projectiles, the wall was severely damaged. They didn't stop until a big part of the wall crumbled down, along with its main door.

“Ahead!” ordered the Slime Empress.

With no resistance, the army entered into the city just to find it empty and completely deserted. While Blargetha entered, she could see a blue uniform ripped into shreds between the candy rocks of the destroyed the wall.

“Your Majesty, the road to the castle is clear” said her commander.

“Carry me there, then!” she ordered.

A tank knocked down the door of the castle and hundreds of soldiers entered in it, again, without finding any resistance.

“Now, go find Bubblegum. Take her out from her hiding spot and bring her to me. I need to know where she hides her toys”.

A couple of hours passed and Blargetha became impatient.

“Where the jam is she? She couldn't disappear from existence just like that!” she complained.

“Your majesty! We found something!” said a soldier.

“Did you find her?”.

“I think you will like this better”.

The empress, intrigued, followed the soldier for many levels under the ground, each one becoming colder and darker, until they finally arrived to a door protected by many other soldiers. They opened the door and the empress entered in the chamber. Her jaws dropped at the sight of what was there. Soon, her amazed expression turned into a smile and finally into a hysterical laughter.

“Nobody can stop me now! Not even those hot-air heads from the Fire Kingdom. I'm a godess of war! All Ooo is mine!”.

Meanwhile, outside of the castle, there was a mount of rubble that used to be a tower of the castle and that was hit by a missing cannon shot. But that wasn't any other tower, that was special. It used to be the battlefield of a war that was never seen, felt or heard; a battle out of the dimension inhabited by everyone else in Ooo; a battle that was destined to last eternally. However, the war was interrupted before the date it was expected to finish by another war. Slowly, a purple figure rose from the rocks and the dust.

* * *

“I know you don't want to be bossed by anyone, but I'll still tell you: Take care” said Bubblegum, with a serious expression, “Rest, don't try to move much. Don't use your powers, at all. If you can, lower your flames as much as you can. Follow my recommendations and you may get some days more”.

“And what if I don't follow them?” asked Flame Princess.

“Any sudden or powerful alteration of your system, aka your heart, could make the entropy much worse than it is now”.

“Ow, ok” said Flame Princess, sitting in a chair.

“Don't worry, little Phoebe. Your friends will bring the Roaz Flame in no time” said Kala, making the young ruler smile with hope.

“Your Majesty!” called a Fire Guard entering into the castle's room in which they were, “Someone demands to see the Candy Princess. They say it's very important, even for this kingdom”.

Both rulers frowned in confusion and went to the main hall of the castle.

“Root Beer Guy! Rattleballs? What is it? What are you doing here?”.

“Princess Bubblegum... Flame King” said Root Beer Guy and he and Rattleballs leaned in presence of the king, “We bring... news”.

“What kind of news?” asked Bubblegum.

“Not so good news” said Rattleballs.

“Be direct” demanded the Flame King.

“The Slime Kingdom...”.

“Empire” interrupted Rattleballs.

“The Slime _Empire_ attacked the Candy Kingdom”.

“What?” yelled Bubblegum, “Slime Empire? Attack? Is this some kind of joke?”.

“I'm afraid it's not. They attacked and invaded the kingdom in just a few hours”.

“And what are the Banana Guards for?” exclaimed Bubblegum.

“I ordered them to leave, along with all the citizens. We had no chance to protect the kingdom and to try it would result in mega death. They don't have a normal army. They have tanks and their troops are bigger in number than ours” explained Root Beer Guy.

“Tanks?” whispered Bubblegum, “Tanks? How dare the Slime King using tanks against me?” she yelled.

“It's not the Slime King, neither the Slime Princess. She came asking for refuge with me. It's her sister, the Empress Blargetha. And she's trying to conquer all Ooo”.

“Well, Flame Princess, it was fun to be here but I have to come back to my kingdom and solve this...”.

“You are not going anywhere” replied the Flame King.

“What do you mean?”.

“The Slime Army could have taken over your kingdom, but according to Ooo politics, they can't consider it conquered until you surrender or they kill you. If you go back, the worst option awaits for you. You'll remain here, we will protect you” said the fire ruler.

“No! You can't do this! If you do it, they'll come for me and...”.

“They are coming here anyway. Your kingdom is the most important in this land. We can't give us the privilege of losing it. The Fire Army can take care of those tanks with just some fire balls”.

Bubblegum was impressed by how politic the young ruler was, when just minutes before she kept a cold attitude towards her. Maturity, that was what she saw in her eyes.

“Thank you, Flame King”.

“There's something else you need to know, Princess” said Rattleballs, “I spied on them when they were inside the castle. I'm afraid the found the room of the Project Titan”.

Bubblegum stumbled and almost fell to the ground if it wasn't for Kala who was behind her and caught her.

“Are you feeling bad? I can give you some herbal tea to calm your nerves” said the priestess with a mischievous smile.

“You and your tea get away from me” said Bubblegum, regaining her equilibrium, “And you two: Do you have any plan?”.

“In fact, we do. We were thinking about applying a customized version of the Plan Valkyrie, your Majesty”.

“The Valkyrie? Yes, good. Do it. The future of the Candy Kingdom and all of Ooo is in your hands now” said Bubblegum before Rattleballs and Root Beer Guy left the Fire Kingdom.

“I hope your army is ready for a big invasion” said Bubblegum to the ruler of the Fire Kingdom.

“Don't worry. You are about to see the power of the fire elementals” replied the Flame King.


	4. What Is Needed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, life's been quite busy. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

“Brother, you have the best unit. I want you and the Unit 37 in the main entrance” said the Flame King, indicating the place in the map that was over the table.

“Don't worry, sister. My unit and I will die before letting you down”.

“Try not to. This may not be the only battle against the slimes”.

In the headquarters of the Fire Army, several people were running in different directions; others were waiting for instructions. It was something that hasn't been seen in decades. Sure, the soldiers were somewhat rusty, but the emotion of the battle seemed to never weaken. As soon as they were called to duty, the fire soldiers didn't doubt and jumped up from their sits, ready to give their lives for their kingdom, for their king, fort their people.

“Is there something I can help with?” asked Princess Bubblegum.

“Not now. But you are better at diplomacy than anyone here” replied the Flame King, “If they give us that option you can talk with them and even resolve the situation about your kingdom. I prefer to crush them in the battlefield though”.

“My darling, I beg you, don't go there” said Kala, entering in the war room.

“Mistress Kala! You shouldn't be here. Please, go take refuge” said the Flame King.

“I'll do if you come with me”.

“I can't. I must protect my kingdom. It's my duty as its ruler”.

“For once, I have to agree with Kala, Flame Princess. Your actual state serious. You help better standing behind and keeping yourself alive than risking your life at the dangers of the battlefield or your own sickness”.

“Both ladies are right, sister. I'll command an entire unit to protect you” said her brother, the general.

“No. I'm not going to be the king that ran away when her kingdom was in need” stated the fiery ruler. “At least let me be in the tactical unit. I can't just wait here for my kingdom to fall” she begged to her brother.

“You are being stubborn and irrational. I'm glad to see you haven't changed that much” said the general with a smile.

“Wait, no!” yelled Kala and Bubblegum at the same time.

“I'm the general and I decide who can come to the battlefield and who can't”.

“Is that the way you want it, Phoebe?”.

“I'm sorry, Mistress Kala. But I can't abandon my people just like that. I need to do this”.

“But... your heart....”.

“I'm strong, mistress. I can fight” said Flame Princess, flexing her arm and hitting her biceps. “I'm gonna be okay”.

“If you are so determined, then there's nothing I can do about it” said Kala with a sad and defeated voice, “At least, drink this tea I prepared for you. It could help you to... last a little longer” said the priestess, handing a thermos to the ruler.

“Thank you, Kala. I will drink it” said Flame Princess and kissed the old woman in the forehead before she left.

* * *

After three days in the ocean, with nothing to do but watch the waves hit the ship and get some sun burns, Finn was obviously bored. He couldn't go in adventures, he couldn't play videogames and even the hope to find a sea monster was fading away with each passing hour.

Cinnamon Bun seemed to have fun reading the dozens of books he brought with himself and meditating three times a day. That wasn't for Finn. He preferred the sensation of his lungs running out of air, his blood running like crazy in his veins and the adrenaline hitting his brain. With nothing more to do, the human approached to his companion in the other side of the deck.

“Hey, CB. You haven't told me about these Hopeless Borderlands. What is there? Why is it so dangerous?” asked Finn to Cinnamon Bun.

“Oh, you are right” said Cinnamon Bun and took out a book titled _Legends of the Ancient Fire_ from his bag and read it.

“It is said that the Hopeless Borderlands were once a big and fertile land, full of trees, grass and life. In this land lived the first elementals and, among them, the Roaz family. For their power and kind hearts, they were considered the leaders of all the fire elementals. However, there was another family which dreamed with conquer of distant lands and gather riches beyond imagination. Their greed emanated a black aura around them. They tried to snatch the power from the Roaz and a civil war started. The Roaz were way more powerful but the evilness of their enemies made them cleverer. They poisoned some of the members of the Roaz, making their allies to lose faith. As a final strike, the evil families burned the land completely, they even burned the ground to make it impossible for something else to grow there. Then, they marched to the Behram Temple in an attempt to extinguish the sacred flame of the first elemental ever existed. But the remaining members of the Roaz family sacrificed themselves to summon a cast upon the temple and only those with pure fire from the Roaz family could enter. The evil families emigrated to their current location”.

“Ooo, that is”.

“Exactly”.

“Whoa...” exclaimed Finn after hearing the story, “But, there's one thing I don't understand. If the first elemental were so kind and the story is written, why did the Fire Kingdom insist in being evil?”.

“That's because the story written here is not the same written in this other book” said Cinnamon Bun, taking out another book from his bag.

“History of the Fire Kingdom?”.

“For first graders. This was the book used in the educational system before Flame Princess ruled. Listen to the origins of the fire elementals: 'Our kind descended from the skies, directly from the sun, upon this land, and made it ours'. There's no reference to the Hopeless Borderlands. I found this legend's book in the deepest part of the library, hidden. I don't think even Flame Princess knows about it. Maybe Kala, but not the king. Any mention to the Roaz family exists only in the legends”.

“And what about the dangers there?”.

“Well, first, the immense heat we will find there, and the fact there's no water. Secondly, something about poisonous unpredictable geysers. Then, all the tests and dangers into the Behram Temple, of which no one has any information”.

“Well, it sure sounds like an adventure. Just like a hero for me. You should stay in the ship, nobody wants you to get hurt” said Finn.

“You won't go alone, Finn. You need someone to lead you there”.

“Just give me a map and I'll be fine”.

“No, Finn. I have to go too”.

“Oh, you would love it, don't you?” reclaimed Finn, “You would love to return to the Fire Kingdom and be the hero who found the way to save her, survived the desert and saved her, don't you? Listen to me! She's not for...!”.

“You listen to me, kid!” yelled Cinnamon Bun, interrupting Finn and making him feel intimidated and even a little scared. “I surely could go there by myself. I could survive the desert and find the temple just by myself. But after there, I'm useless! Only you have what is needed to accomplish this mission!”.

“What are you talking about?” said Finn, quite confused.

“You'll know when time is due” was the last thing Cinnamon Bun said before he returned to his room.

* * *

“Your Majesty, General” said a panting soldier entering in the war room, “They are coming. They are about 3 miles away from here”.

“Prepare the troops. Sound the alert. Tell everyone to take their positions. Are all the civilians in the refuges?”.

“Yes, your Majesty”.

Flame Princess, her brother and Princess Bubblegum came out of the tent they were. In front of them, in the fiery plains near the border with the Grasslands, the troops were preparing for the battle, taking their arms and forming lines. Then, the Flame King gave a step to the front and started talking to the troops.

“Today we face a menace we haven't seen in decades. I know you haven't fought in that same amount of time but I completely trust you. You have proved to my father your strength, your bravery and your fierce. I'm not asking you to prove that _to me_. I know some of you prefer my father rather than me to be your ruler. I'm asking you to fight _by my side_ to protect our kingdom, to protect our people. Help me to keep them safe, to assure them a good life, to keep their dreams alive. To keep _your dreams_ alive. The Fire Kingdom will not fall! The Fire Kingdom will not be under the power of tyrants, not anymore!” she roared.

The troops roared back and lifted up their arms in response.

“Time to go sister. There are people waiting for you in the tactical tent, up in the mountain. You'll have a good sight from there” said her brother.

Bubblegum and Flame Princess then headed to the tactical tent. When the both of them arrived, Bubblegum took the right arm of the king and, without saying anything, put a bracelet on her wrist.

“Ow! Why that bracelet again?” asked Flame Princess, cringing and caressing her wrist.

“To tell me if something bad happens with your heart. Now, more than ever, we have to keep an eye on that”.

“So, how much time do I have?”.

“Well, the monitor in the bracelet says... impossible...”.

“What is it? Is it bad?”.

“According to this, you have a little more time than what I had calculated for you to have today” said Princess Bubblegum, unable to believe what she was watching.

“Well, I drank the tea Kala gave me”.

“Oh, don't be so childish. Even when I don't like to admit it, it's more possible that I made a mistake in my calculations”.

“Either way, I love to see you are not so right after all” said Flame Princess with a smirk.

Bubblegum grumbled, but decided to shrug it away and focus on the incoming battle.

“I still don't understand. Why did they wait three whole days to attack?” said Bubblegum.

But then, from the territory where the tent was installed, she saw them. At least a dozen of robots of ten feet tall each one. They were in the rearguard of the rest of the troops. In the exact middle, one of them was totally painted in green and black. Riding it, was the Empress Blargetha.

“What the bjork are those?” asked Flame Princess, surprised.

“The Project Titan” whispered Bubblegum, “That's why they took so long to come. They were figuring out how they work”.

“Well, it's our time to figure out how they are destroyed. Prepare the catapults. We are gonna have some heavy guests in their rearguard” ordered Flame Princess with her ratio.

“You listened to the king” said the army general in the battlefield, “I want the catapults to focus only in those... things, whatever they are. We can take care of the tanks. Wait for their first movement to attack”.

After a few minutes, one of the tanks opened fire. The shot hit in empty ground, near to Flame Princess' brother. He gazed furiously at the enemy troops and after a few seconds he gave the order.

“Charge!”.

* * *

The sun was rising at the fourth day of travel. Finn woke up in his bed. The nightmare came back to him. He was totally convinced it had some meaning, deep meaning; that it meant something important about to happen in his life. Before, he tried to not give it so much importance. This time, however, it had been different. The Cosmic Owl was there this time.

He remembered the last time he saw the Cosmic Owl in his dreams. He misguided the messages from the divine entity and ended up losing the girl he loved. Looking at that past, he repeated to himself he didn't mean any harm, but accepted he acted like a fool and deserved what happened. Or was it a revenge from the divine bird for Prismo's death? He laughed at his own thoughts and got up from the bed.

Once in the deck of the ship, he noticed the captain wasn't there anymore. Instead, Cinnamon Bun was the one directing the ship.

“What happened with the captain?” asked Finn, approaching to the pastry knight.

“He didn't want to get close to the Hopeless Borderlands. He's somewhat superstitious. Right now, we are in a zone called the Solitude Sea. It is said that whoever navigates in this sea will carry one hundred years of misfortune for their families. He left before the sun rose. Go take a breakfast. We'll get there in a few hours”.

As Cinnamon Bun said, before the noon, the shore of a desert appeared in front of their eyes. It was time. Before them, the dangerous and merciless land which kept Flame Princess's salvation in the depts of its extension. Finn's heart began to pump in excitement. Adventure waited for him. He thought of another chance hidden in those dunes.

The ship anchored in a messy and destroyed pier. Finn and Cinnamon Bun descended into the ground.

“Everything ready, Finn? All your things in your backpack?”.

“Yes! Oh, wait. We forgot something!” The human returned to the ship and brought with him the candle Flame Princess gave them before leaving. “Now we are ready” exclaimed Finn.

Cinnamon Bun nodded and the both of them started walking towards the unknown, towards the danger, towards the hope.


	5. Burden & Isolation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, life was busy with work in pandemic. But I'm back!! Tahnk you so much for reading so far!! Hope you enjoy today's chapter!!

The battle lasted for almost a whole day. From the noon of one of them to the noon of the next one. The Fire Kingdom Army had no major problems with the tanks. Their own abilities and the catapults got rid of them easily. That didn't exempt them from getting hurt and even lose soldiers. However, neither the Fire Army nor the Slime Army could make big advances in the battlefield.

The Titans robots remained stationed in front of the Fire Kingdom.

“Your Majesty, we are stuck. Even with our tanks we cannot go further” said one of the Slime commanders.

“Then it's time to try these babies. Titans, move!” ordered Blargetha.

The giant robots started walking into the battlefield. They fired energy rays that made big explosions and created deep craters in the ground. Some fire soldiers started running away, scared of the power of the robots. The unlucky ones got punched and kicked by them and sent several feet up in the air.

“Bubblegum, watch that” said the Flame King from the tactical tent, pointing towards the Titans, “Now is a great time to tell us how to stop those sons of you”.

“They can't be stopped. I created them to be unstoppable, specially from fire elementals”.

“What are you talking about?” yelled Fire Princess' brother.

“Does that mean we are... defeated?” asked the Flame King.

“Well, I... I think so. There are more possibilities for that to happen than we defeating them” replied Bubblegum.

“You! Always you!” yelled Flame Princess with anger, “You put me on that lantern! You are serving my kingdom in a silver plate! It is always you!”.

“Flame Princess, your heart. Please, calm down” said Princess Bubblegum, trying to calm the young ruler to not risk her heart and to not be burned by her.

“Calm down? How do you want me to be calm down when my kingdom and my people are going to be oppressed again? What can you know of a life like that?”. Her flames were growing and dancing around her body.

“Sister, she's right. You must calm to take care of your heart. Don't worry, this is not over. We are going to find a way to stop them. We never give up” said the general of the Fire Army.

The king calmed herself and settled her flames down.

“Ok, brother. I'm not gonna give up”.

“What we have to do now is leave, find another place to keep fighting. We are not safe here anymore”.

The Flame King agreed with her brother, and every fire leader plus Princess Bubblegum returned to the Castle.

“You should think in putting defensive walls around the kingdom” commented Bubblegum.

“One thing at time” replied Flame King in a hard way. Her hand was in her chest, which worried the princess of the Candy Kingdom.

In the battlefield, the decision was announced and the Fire Army abandoned their places to retreat until reaching the defensive lines in the outskirt’s neighborhoods of the kingdom. With lances, crossbows and the fire in their fists, they were ready to defend their people or die trying.

Near the dusk, most of the defenses had fallen or abandoned their positions, fearing for their lives. Even when the will to protect their kingdom and people was strong, their desire to stay alive was stronger. Not too much time passed before the Slime troops were at the doors of the castle.

Blargheta entered into the castle, riding a Titan and with other two Titans at her side.

“Flame King! Princess Bubblegum!” she called, “I know you are here. So, you better show up yourselves or my robotic babies are going to destroy every life in this kingdom”.

Flame Princess felt a needle going through her heart. This was not good. Not the threat that the empress just threw nor the sensation in her chest. Never before she felt the urge to kneel, punch the ground and let herself drown in a sea of lava tears. Her fists were clenched, just like her eyes. The knot in her throat was a painful scream about to come out. Everything was ready for her to fall apart.

She didn't. She breathed deep. She came out from her hiding spot and faced Blargetha in the main hall of the castle.

“Princess Bubblegum, I need you here. Now!” she said with a straight face.

The princess came out from the place she was hiding too and went to Flame King's side.

“We are willing to talk about a treaty that warrants the safety of the people in the Fire Kingdom as well as the people in the Candy Kingdom” said the fiery ruler.

“And what about the people in the other kingdoms I took over before coming here?” asked Blargetha.

“We are not interested. We just talk for our kingdoms” said Bubblegum.

“Good! I'll be pleased to make a treaty with the both of you” said Blargetha, “But first, take them into the prison” she ordered to her soldiers.

“What? What does this mean?” yelled Bubblegum while the Titans surrounded her and the Flame King.

“I don't know. It was _her_ idea” said Blargetha pointing to her left side, where a purple silhouette came out from the shadows.

“Goliad?” asked Bubblegum in shock.

“This lady and I share an ideal, princess. An ideal that will lead us to a perfect and happy world. Perfect for everyone. There's only one way to assure the well-being of the people and we both pursue it, princess. We will do what you could never do. And for that, we have to make sure you are not a burden in our plans” said the sphinx while slime soldiers took both Flame King and Princess Bubblegum away.

* * *

From a near hill, Rattleballs and Root Beer Guy were watching over the movements of the Slime Army in the Candy Kingdom. For days, they learned their schedules and prepared a plan. Their objective was to get into the underground levels of the castle, where they would find what they needed to put their customized Valkyrie plan in operation.

They decided to sneak in when it was dark.

“I'll distract them. I'll see you there” said Root Beer Guy.

“Won't you get lost?”.

“Don't worry. I know the castle like the back of my hand. Maybe I'll be there before you” replied the captain, before running towards the kingdom.

“Hey! Slime dummies! I'm here!” yelled Root Beer Guy in front of the guards in the castle main entrance.

“Isn't that the Banana Guard Captain?” asked one of the slime guards, “Yes! He is! Get him!” he ordered.

Root Beer Guy ran away with half of the slime guards behind him, giving Rattleballs the chance to enter into the castle. The harder part was over. From there, it was easy for the secret protector of the kingdom to avoid guards inside the castle until he reached the underground chamber he was looking for.

Meanwhile, Root Beer Guy kept running with all the guards that watched over the outsides of the castle behind him. That was exactly what he wanted. He entered into a dark alley, fooling the slime guards and losing them.

“Bingo Bango” he whispered.

When he was about to leave the alley, a bright light descended upon him.

“There he is!” yelled a voice from a helicopter.

It was time to run again for Root Beer Guy. He went through streets and alleys when the helicopter began to shoot at him. The sound of the bullets passing behind him were terrifying and he couldn't do something else but keep running. At the end of a street, he saw the Candy Tavern. He jumped and dived into the window, breaking it; he rolled until he hit the bar.

He got up and went into the other side of the bar. He searched for the bottle of liquor with biggest amount of alcohol. Once he found it, he took a rag and put it into the bottle. With a lighter, he set the rag on fire. Root Beer Guy came out from the tavern and threw his improvised molotov against the helicopter, making it lose control and fall to the ground. 

“Bingo Bango” he cheered himself again and then began to run again, until he reached one of the secret entrances to the castle that was protected by the slime guards without them even knowing they were doing so.

In the insides of the castle, Rattleballs was putting in a locker room two guards that were protecting the entrance to the underground levels and whom he just knocked over. He went into those levels, avoiding to be seen by the guards there, especially the guards in the entrance of the Titan Project Room.

Rattleballs finally got to his destination. He stood there, in front of the door, almost ceremoniously. His gaze fixed into the plaque on the door.

“Home, sweet home” he whispered before entering into the room of the Rattleballs Guardian Project.

Once there, he found Root Beer Guy playing with a Rubik Cube.

“I tell you, this thing is impossible” said Root Beer Guy from his chair.

Rattleballs approached to him, took the cube from his hands and resolved the cube with rapid movements that the captain wasn't able to see.

“It's time to work” said the robot.

“Well, how are we gonna do that? All the archives of defensive projects that ended in failure... oh, I'm sorry”

“No problem” replied Rattleballs.

“As I was saying, all the archives of _old_ defensive projects were destroyed. How are we going to bring them back?”

“Princess Bubblegum put a secret archive in our memories in case something happened to her and we had to protect the kingdom” said Rattleballs, “It was totally blocked for us until a sensor in her body told us she was dead. After we were destroyed, the archives and the sensor were destroyed too. After hundreds of years of meditation, I could go deep into my programming language and find the archive” he said as he began to enter codes in a computer.

The big machine behind them started to work. The sound of gears, metal and released steam filled the room.

“It's time for us to come back and protect our kingdom”.

* * *

Flame Princess opened her eyes. It hadn't been a pleasant sleep; she still felt her eyes hot and heavy but she had to get up, even if she didn't want to. Something strange called her attention. She didn't remember her room to be so empty and small. Then, she remembered what had happened the night before. She and Princess Bubblegum were arrested and sent to cell in the prison of the Fire Kingdom.

“Back to the beginning” she said to herself.

At the other side of the room was Bubblegum, still wearing her fireproof suit. Flame Princess wondered in silence if it didn't bother her to not take a shower in five days, if she didn't miss her royal baths with water, bubbles and gum-like scents. The King surely missed that. Not exactly. Rather the sensation of relax in her free times, her baths in lava instead of a bathtub filled with water.

Meanwhile, the gummy princess was wondering about a way to escape from their cell. They could wait until Rattleballs came and liberated them, if she understood well Root Beer Guy and Rattleballs' plan. But until that happened, both rulers could be forced to make a treaty they should respect no matter what. Or something worse.

“Princess Bubblegum...” heard the ruler of the Candy Kingdom, making her turn to the other girl in the cell, “How do you deal with something like this? I mean, you have more experience than me on situations like this. I don't know what to do right now. Can you... give me advice? My head is blocked”.

Bubblegum sighed.

“I'm sorry, Flame Princess, but I don't know what to do either. My kingdom has been in serious danger before but nothing like this. They were minor threats at the beginning of my kingdom. When they became more serious... Finn was already there. I owe that boy a lot”.

“I see” said Flame Princess. “If he was here, do you think he would have any chance against them?”.

“Of course not! Zero! Less than zero chances!” exclaimed Bubblegum, “But he's someone who likes to destroy what you expect from him”.

“Yeah, tell me about it” said Flame Princess and sighed. “I wonder how my people is doing”.

“Hey, don't worry. It will be bad for your heart” said Bubblegum, “Besides, I'm sure your people are okay. They won't dare to harm them if they are smart. They need them to be happy to avoid rebellions”.

“Yeah, I suppose you are right. But... ow”.

Flame Princess complained. She put her hand in her chest and then groaned. Her breath began to get heavier. Her legs started to feel weak so she sat on her bed.

“Let me see the bracelet” said Bubblegum, approaching to the young girl. She took her arm and read the information in the little bracelet monitor. “Auch mein glob...”.

“What does that mean? Is it your science-y language?”.

“You should have twenty-three days left. You only have eighteen now”.

“How...? How did I lose five days of life in just one day?” asked Flame Princess, somewhat terrified by the revelation.

“The pressure of the war and the worry for your people were too much for your heart”.

“And what did you want me to do? To not care about my people? To not worry if they are alive, if they need me, if their lives are going to be destroyed?” asked the king, offended. “I'm not you! I'm not a person without feelings, I care about people. Glob forbid me from becoming someone like you!”.

“I also hope so” said Bubblegum, “I don't want anyone to become what I am. Not you, not Finn... not anyone” she said with in a low voice, almost imperceptible. “Now, calm down. You could make your days shorter than they already are” said the princess, returning to her bed.

Flame Princess was impressed. She would never expect something like that from the sugary princess. Maybe she cared about others. After all, she always thought on Finn's relationship with her as a deep and meaningful relationship, almost in the same way her relationship with Cinnamon Bun was.

“I'm sorry for that” apologized Flame Princess.

“I told you not to worry. Your heart needs a rest” replied Princess Bubblegum with a smile, “Have faith. We are going to get out of this”

* * *

Finn woke up. The sun almost burned his eyelids when the sunshine hit his eyes. He came out from the tent he and Cinnamon Bun prepared. The fire they lit the night before was still burning with a little flame. In every direction he looked, there was nothing but sand and even the sky above it seemed to be made of sand.

It was time. Cinnamon Bun was still sleeping. He knew the direction that should be taken to get to the Behram Temple; his companion told him the night before, unaware of the young man's intentions. Finn planned everything in the night. He wouldn't let Cinnamon Bun steal the glory, he wouldn't let his chance to amend things with Flame Princess die. He was going to save her and she was going to give him her heart.

He took his backpack, with Flame Princess candle still inside; some water bottles and food. He began to walk fast, not running. His experience with deserts was enough to know that was a very bad idea.

After a couple of hours going alone in the desert, avoiding mirages and dealing with the heat and weight of his desert clothes, he arrived to a place where there was no more sand. The ground was eroded. When he walked some feet ahead, the ground started to shake just under him. The ground then inflated right in front of him. Something bad was about to happen. He knew it and it was too late to move back.

The ground broke. From the hole, a geyser violently exploded in front of him. It engulfed Finn immediately. Finn began to cough as he felt how his lungs were invaded by the poisonous gas that came out from the geyser. The steam around him was too thick to let him watch around. He felt weak as the poison was making effect on him. His knees kissed the ground while he asphyxiated.

His mind was blank. His eyes were closing. Before it was all darkness, he felt someone or something pulling him out of the mortal steam.


	6. Vive le Roi!

After two days in the cell, Flame Princess was about to lose her patience.

“ _It isn't fair!_ ” she thought to herself every hour.

After almost eight years outside of that despicable lamp, after so many years of freedom, she was once again locked away. The cell seemed way better than the lamp though; it had more space. But isolation is isolation, in any way it comes. The only thing that stopped her from having a sudden rage attack was the condition of her heart and the scarce chat with Princess Bubblegum, who got rid of her fireproof suit; Flame Princess offered to put a flame shield on her to make her stance more comfortable.

The day before, they were told by Blargetha herself that she had been informed about Finn and Cinnamon Bun's whereabouts, thanks to a tortured soldier that spilled the beans. The rage inside the king of the Fire Kingdom grew bigger, but the only thing she let out was a single tear of impotence, just before going to sleep, when nobody was watching her. She needed to get out from that cell and protect her people and her friends.

“You should let your sentiments flow out” said Bubblegum.

“Look who's talking” replied Flame Princess.

“No, seriously. You can't remain in that eternal stoic state for too long without hurting yourself. Maybe letting out your feelings could help with your heart”.

“Look, I'm not a cold heart person and I don't repress my feelings, okay?” replied Flame Princess.

“I heard you sob in your sleep last night”.

Flame Princess sat against the wall and covered her face with her hands. She let out an exasperated groan and then sighed.

“I could talk with Cinnamon Bun” she said, “I always talked with him whenever I felt bad”.

“Well, why didn't you say it before?” said Bubblegum.

“What do you mean by that?” said Flame Princess, revealing her face to Bubblegum.

“We can call him with this gem necklace. I gave him one to inform me about the mission status” said the sugary princess with a smile.

The young king approached to Bubblegum and, nervous, gave her a quick hug.

“Thank you”.

After the brief hug, Princess Bubblegum rubbed the gem, which made it glow and projected a pink holographic cube with the word 'wating...'. After a couple of seconds, the image changed to Cinnamon Bun itself. “ _Princess, good night_ ”.

“Good night, Cinnamon Bun. I called to...”.

“Cinnamon Bun? Is that really you?” exclaimed an excited Flame Princess, putting herself in front of Bubblegum.

“ _My King, goodnight! How are you?_ ”.

“So happy to see you, CB!” she said with teary eyes but still smiling.

“ _Oh, don't cry, please. We will be back in matter of days_ ”.

“I know! It's just...”.

Flame Princess's voice broke as she began to sob.

“A _re you ok, princess?_ ”.

“Let me put some context here” said Bubblegum, recovering control of the call, “The slime princess Blargetha performed a coup d'Ètat and took control of the slime kingdom. She made it an armed empire and has taken over several kingdoms, including the Candy Kingdom and the Fire Kingdom. We are now prisoners. We are calling you from a cell”.

“ _Oh my Glob! Are you fine?_ ”.

“We are alive. That's something. Flame Princess wanted to talk with you”. Bubblegum handed the gemstone to the fiery girl, who took it and went to her bed.

“ _Hello, my king_ ” he greeted, softly.

“Hello, my friend” replied Flame Princess, wiping lava tears from her eyes.

“ _Is there something bothering you? Something you want to talk about?_ ”.

“It's just... I don't know if I can deal with this. I don't have my father's blind courage and thirst of victory. I can't go there and exterminate all my enemies with just a single strike of my fire. And even if I gathered the will to be like him, my heart wouldn't allow me to do it. I just want everyone to be happy. I just want my people not to suffer” she said, beginning to sob out of anger and desperation.

“ _Don't hold it, princess. Cry. For cry will help you to wash your soul from the stains of pain. I wish I was there to hug you_ ”. After a brief pause, waiting for the young girl to be calm, he spoke again. “ _Don't give up. Your people needs you now more than ever. You won't disappoint them, I assure you. Good things come to good people. Everything will be fine soon, I know it_ ”.

“Thanks, CB” said Flame Princess with a smile, “I hope you return soon”.

“ _We are close. Just a couple of days from the Temple. We will be there soon_ ”.

“How's Finn? Can I talk with him?”.

“ _He's resting right now. He had a rough day. I wouldn't bother him_ ”.

“Oh! I see...” she said with a disappointed tone, “Well, I'll talk with him once you both are here. Thanks for your words, CB”.

“ _Always at your service, your Majesty_ ”.

“See you, my knight”.

* * *

“Gold dreams for you, my king”.

The call was over. Cinnamon Bun went inside the tent. He looked at Finn, panting and struggling with the fever he had. Cinnamon Bun changed the wet towel in his forehead and gave the unconscious boy some water to drink.

“You truly have a guardian angel by your side, Finn. A little more inside that steam and you wouldn't be alive now. But you are not safe yet. You have to struggle with the venom in your lungs. I know you are strong, I know you can come out of this one. You have the key for salvation inside you. I hope you can discover it before it's too late”.

Cinnamon Bun came out from the tent. He looked up at the sky, gazing at the stars and losing himself in the sense of belonging to something incredibly infinite.

“Stars are quite pretty tonight. Just like burning hearts...”.

* * *

“ _Let me out of here! I've spent too much time here! I can help you with your conquest enterprise_ ”.

“Shut up, old man” replied Goliad, “You are to devious to be freed”.

“ _How in the world can you know that?_ ” asked the former Flame King from the lantern.

“ _Shut up already, man! You haven't stopped bragging since they got here. I can't sleep!_ ” complained Don Jon.

“You have made yourself of a popular name, ex-Flame King. I've read your mind and I can see how you plan to betray us. Your craving for power meets no limits. You are a danger for our mission, just like your daughter and my mother”.

“ _What? You read into my mind? That's invasive! That's unforgivable! That's a violation to my..._ ”.

“Shut up and sit!” ordered Goliad with a roar, taking off her third eye and controlling the former Flame King to sit down and be silent.

“ _Thank you_ ” said Don Jon.

“Goliad! My girl! Good morning!” exclaimed Blargetha, approaching to the sphinx, “You gotta take care of this hellish land for a couple of hours. I need to make a familiar visit. Can you with manage it?”.

“It's what I've been doing during the last two days” said Goliad nonchalantly.

“That's the spirit! See you soon!”.

With that, Blargetha came out from the Fire Kingdom and boarded one of her military tanks, accompanied by two more tanks.

Meanwhile, in the Grasslands, BMO looked out from the window to the camp the Candy People had improvised around the Tree House. Like a little child, BMO soon grew curious about that concentration of people around the house.

“Why is all the Candy Kingdom outside, Jake? Did something happen to the Candy Kingdom?”.

Jake sipped from his mug before answering.

“Yes and no. It's complicated, BMO. Sometimes, people leave their houses”.

“Like when you don't like it anymore and you want to change it?”.

“No, it's more like when Marceline kicked out Finn and me from here”.

“Marceline also owns the Candy Kingdom?” asked BMO in awe.

“No, no. Look: the candy people were forced to leave their houses so they could stay safe and sound. There's something worse than Marceline that arrived to the Candy Kingdom. And that thing wouldn't be pleased with just kickin' them out”.

“Oh my Glob, no!” exclaimed BMO dramatically, “We have to do something! We can defy that terrible beast and slash it. And Finn will be proud of us!” said BMO enthusiastically.

Jake giggled.

“That would be neat. But I prefer if that beast came to us, you know? It's not that I'm being lazy or anything but we would have tactical advantage here”.

As Jake finished his sentence, the usual quite whispers of the people outside became confused and terrified ones, until they evolved in screams and hysteria. Jake got up from his sit and watched with BMO through the window. In the distance, among a dust cloud, three tanks from the Slime Empire could be seen approaching.

“Oh Glob! Why did I open my mouth? Why did I say that?” asked Jake, freaking out for the situation.

The candy people outside started to walk backwards, terrified, until there was no more space behind. They began to mumble and tremble, scared of what could happen next. The tanks were getting closer.

Jake, taking courage from the deepest of his being, came out from the house, grew in size and stood between the tanks and the candy people. The tanks stopped ten feet in front of Jake. Blargetha descended from the one in the middle.

“You can't go any inch ahead, Empress Blargetha! This is neutral territory. You have nothing to do here!”.

“Oh, but I do have. You have something I want and if I don't get it, I'm gonna blow this place up, with all your innocent and defenseless refugees” replied Blargetha.

“Do you have slime in the ears? This is neutral territory! We have nothing of your interest!”.

Jake was afraid, really afraid. One shot from one of those tanks and the next thing he would see could be Glob's reign. No more Lady, no more of his really grown up children. No more Finn. No more nachos and sandwiches. Even so, he stood there, knowing that, if it was destined for him to leave life like that, at least he would do it doing the right thing.

“And what about my sister?” said Blargetha.

“Your sister?”, asked Jake, truly confused.

“I know she's here. If you don't bring her to me, I will destroy all the Candy People. Anyway, I can rule from the Fire Kingdom”.

“Well, if she's here, then I won't give her to you. She's another refugee and is my duty to protect her”.

“Ok, as you wish. Tanks, aim target on Jake”.

As the empress ordered, the canons of the tanks aimed to the dog, who let out a terrified gasp, someone in the refugee group screamed.

“No! Stop!”.

From the scared crowd in the back, the Slime Princess came out. Her serious gaze hid the fear she was feeling as she walked towards her sister.

“Sister! There you are! I missed you” said Blargetha with a mischievous tone in her voice. “Come here, I have new bracelets I want to give you”.

When the Slime Princess approached, Blargetha handcuffed her and ordered her soldiers to put her inside a tank. “We are gonna take a ride, sister. A ride you will never forget” said Blargetha with a malicious voice.

Blargetha boarded her tank and, before leaving, she looked back at Jake and said:

“I'm coming back later. With your brother at my side”.

Jake stood still, shocked by the empress's words, and watching her going away.

* * *

Flame Princess opened her eyes. Last night wasn't as bitter as the other nights before. In fact, she slept calmly and that morning she was in a better mood. Her face had a big grin on it that morning.

She stood up from the bed. As it was becoming a habit, the first thing she saw was the Candy Kingdom princess. This time, the sugary princess was inspecting the bars of the cell, thinking in some way to break them and set them free. After a few seconds, she groaned and returned to her bed.

“It's useless! There are only two ways to get out of here: Blargetha or Finn”.

“Can I try something? I feel lucky today” said Flame Princess, stretching her arms.

“Uh... I'm not sure, to be honest. What about your...?”.

“CB and Finn are about to come. According to your bracelet, I still have like twelve days. And they are getting here in less than ten days. A little of action won't make me any bad”.

“But aren't these cells made specially to contain fire people? How would you break the bars anyway?” asked Bubblegum.

“Am not any fire people, princess” said the young ruler with a face of determination, “I am the Flame King. You may cover yourself. This could get messy”.

“No, wait!”.

The Flame King raised her right hand and summoned a small fire orb in her point finger. With a movement of her whole arm, she fired the orb towards the cell lock. The explosion made the cell tremble and a big amount of smoke covered it.

Bubblegum went flying against the wall. She opened her eyes. She couldn't hear anything besides a buzz in her ears. Getting on her feet, she walked towards the silhouette of the Flame King, standing in the middle of the smoke.

“I hope you are ready, because if it worked, the guards will be here in no time. And if it didn't... Blargetha and Goliad will get rid of us for once and for all”.

Both rulers were watching to the front, waiting for the smoke to fade away and reveal the first step of their path to freedom. Their hearts were pumping faster; excited and frightened. When the smoke disappeared completely, the bars were still there.

“What?” exclaimed Flame Princess.

A fast run of many people could be heard approaching the cell.

“And this is where it ends...” whispered Princess Bubblegum with a frown.

The steps were getting closer and closer until...

“Sister!”.

“Brother!”.

Flame Princess ran to the bars to see her brother better.

“Thank Glob you are okay! Stay away from the bars. We are gonna blow it up”.

In that moment, the young girl noticed the two soldiers putting a square device in the lock of the cell. She went back and took Bubblegum with her behind one of the beds. Like before, the force of the explosion could be felt in the cell and the bodies of its prisoners. This time, however, the bars were defeated by the explosion.

The ruler of the Fire Kingdom came out from her hiding spot and ran to hug her brother.

“Thank you, thank you! But... why couldn't I destroy them before?” asked Flame Princess.

“These bars can only be destroyed from the outside. Now, let's go. We have no time to waste”.

Flame Princess and Princess Bubblegum were escorted by Flame Princess' brother's battalion out of the cell. When they reached the main hall of the prison, they looked down to see all the slime soldiers that worked as guards surrounded by the fire soldiers, tied and unarmed.

“Did you take over the prison?” asked Flame Princess.

“It was the easier way. Your lives wouldn't be in risk. It was way easier than we thought, though. I suppose they can't do much without their robots” said Flame Princess’ brother. “Besides, from now on this prison will be the headquarters of the Resistance”.

“Sir!”, called one of the fire soldiers from below, “Do we put them in the cells?”.

“You are now prisoners, slime soldiers” said the fire general, “From now on, you...”.

“Set them free”.

The general looked at her sister, puzzled by her words. Even Princess Bubblegum looked at her in the same way, but softened her features after a brief moment and watched with rather curious look.

“I won't take away anyone's freedom. Set them free!” she ordered, and her soldiers did as she demanded. “But tell something to your empress, slime soldiers. Tell her we are not giving up anytime soon. Tell her we will fight. Tell her the Fire Kingdom will turn her empire into ashes” she said as her flames grew and danced around her. “Tell her I'm waiting”.

The slime soldiers left the prison. Meanwhile, in the inside, the hundreds of members of the resistance, with their fists up in the air, chanted “Long live the King!”.

* * *

Cinnamon Bun changed the wet towel in Finn's forehead once more. It was a waste of water, and the knight knew it; but there was no option.

“I don't dismiss all the years that have passed, Finn. I don't dismiss the things you have gone through, the maturity you have acquired. But there still are a lot of things you need to learn, things you need to understand. Your passion is admirable, but mistaken. This is no time to let yourself be controlled by your emotions... not yet”.

Finn, in the other hand, was unaware of his companion's words. The human was busy enough dealing with the fever and the venom in his lungs. Panting, sweating, but unconscious. If a little of consciousness was in his mind, it would be extremely desperate.

“Keep fighting, Finn” said Cinnamon Bun as he held the human's head to make him drink a beverage made out of water and herbs, “Only you can carry the torch”.

A sudden noise outside. Something buzzing. And it was getting closer and louder.

Cinnamon Bun came out from the tent and looked at the sky, from where the sound seemed to be coming. He covered his eyes to avoid the blinding rays of the sun. And then he saw them.

“Are those... birds?”.

The black shapes up in the sky got closer, until they were no black anymore, but grey.

“Planes?” asked Cinnamon Bun, narrowing his eyes.

The planes passed above him. Then, several green points popped in the sky, just above him. Those points began to grow as the seconds passed.

“Parachutes... the Slime Army!”.

Before the Fire Kingdom's knight could react, he was surrounded by dozens of slime soldiers, aiming at him with their guns and a cold stare.

The leader of the squad, carrying a smaller weapon but also aiming, approached to the pastry knight.

“Where is he?” asked the captain.

“What do you want with him?”.

“That's not of your business. Your kingdom has already fallen. So, tell me before I turn you into a donut with my gun, where is he?”.

“He's in the tent, but he's terribly sick. His lungs got poisoned by venomous steam two days ago. He's not in conditions of...”.

“How much would it take for him to recover?” interrupted the squad leader.

“A whole week, two weeks max”.

The leader took his radio and spoke to it.

“We have some complications here. We need a place to stay for the rest of the week. Have you seen something? Over”.

“ _10-4, general_ ” replied a voice from the radio. “ _There's a building, 2 miles to the west from your position. A team is coming down right now to prepare it for you. Over_ ”.

“Understood. Over and out” said the general, “Well, take your things and prepare your friend. We are going to walk for a while. Soldiers, help him with the package. The boy still has something to give us”.


	7. Sickness

Finn opened his eyes, slowly. He blinked several times before opening them completely. The sunlight was coming inside through the tent. He covered his face from the bright and sat. He was alone.

“Cinnamon Bun should be out... wait. What if he left me to get the heart? I can't let him!”.

Finn got up, took his backpack and came out from the tent. He realized Cinnamon Bun things were next to the place where the bonfire was last night.

“Oh... I suppose I overreacted. Still gotta watch him”.

Finn heard noises coming from the dune that was behind him. He escalated the dune to watch Cinnamon Bun, standing motionless in the middle of the dessert.

“Hey, CB! What cha' doi...?”.

Before Finn could finish his question, he saw himself. He saw another Finn coming closer to the pastry knight, with his sword in his hand.

Finn was speechless. He could see a gaze of hate and fury in his other self, a gaze that even scared himself, making him too afraid to do anything. That vision reached Cinnamon Bun, who has giving his back to the delusional Finn. The human lifted the sword over his head.

“Wait, no!” yelled Finn, but his other self didn't stop.

One swing was enough for the sword to cut the Fire Kingdom knight from one side to the other. The wind came and the superior part felt in the ground, while the rest of his body was still standing.

Finn gasped, unable to believe what he was watching.

“No, no, no... it can't be. What...? Am I on a dream? Did I get out of my body again?”. Finn checked himself frantically, to make sure he was still a body in the earthly realm. “I don't understand...” he said, looking at his hands.

When he looked up, the other Finn was right in front of him. That Finn walked through him, took his backpack and left. Then, everything around the original Finn began to crumble: the sand of the desert went up and the sky melted around him. He couldn't do anything but look in disbelief.

Other colors came to fill the space the desert abandoned. Red, orange, black, purple, pink. In matter of seconds, Finn was back at the Fire Kingdom. He was outside of the Fire Castle, surrounded by hundreds of fire beings, whom were cheering and celebrating. He looked up at where everyone was looking, to the balcony of the tower. What he saw, left him frozen.

The other Finn and Flame Princess were in the balcony, waving at the people under them. They were smiling and their hands holding. There was a slight bump in the Flame King’s stomach.

But there was something else that made Finn uneasy. Flame Princess' eyes were different, they were glowing red. And her gaze was totally different too. Even when she was smiling, he could see something different in her face. That was not her smile, there was something dark behind it.

Suddenly, Flame Princess' chest began to glow red, brighter with each passing second. The other Finn looked at the ruler, puzzled. The fire people fell in silence and confusion. The smile in the girl's face didn't fade away.

“My heart is yours, darling” said Flame Princess.

Suddenly, the whole body of the ruler was as red as her chest. Soon, Flame Princess’ body was replaced by a glowing red orb that was growing without stop. The other Finn's screams were heard before the screams of the fire people.

Finn stood still there, unable to move, say or think anything. The growing red orb reached him and engulfed him for a few seconds. Then, everything was black again. The young man looked back and saw a red point disappearing in the void. When he turned, the mysterious warrior in the dark brown armor was in front of him. Now, the armor had glowing red lines running across it. The flaming sword in his hand.

“The heart” the warrior said.

“The heart...” whispered Finn.

The image of the warrior was replaced by the Cosmic Owl.

“Your heart”.

“My heart?”.

Before anything else happened, Finn was floating in an ocean, engulfed by salt water.

* * *

“You are nothing!”.

The first response that the Slime Princess got from that commentary was a slap in the face and the fixed gaze of her sister.

“Do you think I didn't know that?”, hissed Blargetha.

The empress turned, giving the back to her sister. She walked to the window. She looked down at the Candy Kingdom, now under her control. There was a void in her interiors by the words her sister said. But she was convinced of her actions and her ways.

“When I heard my father say that you would inherit the power of the kingdom, I felt betrayed. I was the best at school, I was always at his side trying to learn everything about how to rule a kingdom. When I inquired him about his decision, he said I was too... agressive. That I only wanted power, and that was not how a ruler needed to be. But isn't a need to be powerful in order to protect your people?”.

“You are corrupting that power”, said Slime Princess.

“Without power, you can't do anything”, Blargetha said, ignoring her sister. “I wanted him to be proud of me. I wanted to demonstrate that I can be a good ruler, the best ruler our kingdom had ever had”.

“And you think this is making him proud? In the prison where you have him?”.

“No. But I realized that I don't need him to be proud of me. He betrayed me. He put me aside in your favor. I don't owe him anything”.

Blargetha walked back to her sister, her hands in her back.

“This is my achievement. This is my history” she hissed. “Guards, take her to the dungeon”.

The guards took Slime Princess by her handcuffs to drag her outside.

“You are gonna fall, Blargetha”, said the princess. “You made two big mistakes. One, you attacked the Candy Kingdom. And two, you attacked the Fire Kingdom”.

“I don't see how those were mistakes. I have them under my control. Yes, I have a little rebellion in the Fire Kingdom since a week ago, but I can crush them easily”.

“Your mistake was that you can't see beyond what your eyes let you. You attacked the soul and the heart of the bravest warrior of Ooo”.

Blargetha remained silent. She looked at her sister's smile with blank expression.

“Yeah, you are right” Blargetha said with no emotion whatsoever. “That's why I have him in a cell while he recovers from poisoning in the Hopeless Borderlands”.

Slime Princess' smile dropped. Her eyes and her mouth widened in shock. The hope in her chest, however, resigned to die.

“You are lying!”.

“Then what is this?” said Blargetha, taking from her desk a photo of Finn, in a bed, with clear signs of struggle in his face. “Take her out of my sight!”.

The guards dragged the Slime Princess out of the office. She didn't even have the force to resist, she let the guards do their job without any complains. Her mind was heavy and lost. She could see it: Blargetha controlling the whole land of Ooo.

“This is my land” said Blargetha, “The Slime Empire shall rise, and nothing will ever stop it”.

* * *

“Get ready, people! Today we hit them hard!” yelled the Flame King, from the bridge above her soldiers. “We won't stop until we kick their butts out of our land!”.

The roaring underneath was positive. The prison was full of loyal fire soldiers ready to give their lives to protect their kingdom. They were preparing their weapons and their powers for the battle of that day. There were also beds with the injured ones, wishing to recover rapidly to serve their king and their people. So far, there were only four pieces of coal waiting for a burial full of honors. That was a good balance.

The battles had been as fast as fierce. It was a guerrilla war that was being effective. Soldiers freed and united to the resistance; neighborhoods and governments buildings taken over. There were only three more buildings and the castle to recover.

The Flame King watched carefully every moment beneath her, alongside with her brother. At their backs, Princess Bubblegum and Kala watched carefully over Flame Princess. They both knew that she had escaped into battles and that was not good at all for her condition. Kala's tea kept being useful in delaying the sickness (for reasons Bubblegum couldn't understand), but it wouldn't be so effective if she didn't take care of herself.

“How much do you think my tea would help her?” asked Kala.

“At this rate... it will only give her day and a half extra. Two max”.

“And how much time is left?”

“I don't know. She hasn't let me see the bracelet since her army got here”, replied the candy princess, with worry in her voice.

The Flame King left her brother's side and went with Kala and Bubblegum.

“Here's your tea, Phoebe. Drink it slowly”.

“Thanks Kala”, replied Flame Princess before sipping the tea cup.

“Can I talk with you for a few minutes? In private?” asked Bubblegum to Flame Princess.

“I think so”, replied the fiery ruler in a cold manner.

They both went into an office of the prison and closed the door behind them.

“How have you been feeling?”.

Flame Princess looked puzzled at Bubblegum's question, but she remembered the reason of those kind of questions.

“Good. Really good, in fact. I think Kala's tea has helped a bit”.

“Don't mention it...” said Bubblegum, a little bitter.

“I think... I think I'll be fine. Hey! Maybe Finn's and CB travel wasn't so necessary after all”.

“We can't take risks, Flame Princess. Me and Kala know you have been going to battles behind our backs. You can't do that!”.

“And who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?”, replied Flame Princess, aggravated.

“Nobody. I've realized that my influence over you is not the same as with the other royals” said Bubblegum humbly. “That doesn't mean I can't give you advice. But the only one who decides here is you. You should tell to yourself what is better for you”.

“I'm doing what I must do!” replied Flame Princess. “And if that means I have to risk my life and roast those invaders, then I'm gonna do it!”.

“Oh, now your fire balls grew” said Bubblegum slightly sarcastic, “What happened with 'I couldn't be as fierce as my father. I'm not that evil', uh?”.

“I'm not like my father” hissed the fire ruler, pointing at Bubblegum's face. “He did bad just for the sake of doing bad. I'm fighting for my people! To keep them safe! To keep them happy!” she yelled as her flames grew and her head began to take its titanic shape.

“What do you really want, Flame Princess?”, asked Bubblegum with neutral voice.

“What...?”. Flame Princess looked puzzled.

“I've seen your eyes. You don't like this”.

“And who would like something like this, you dumb head?”.

“I mean... all this. You don't like being the king, you don't like the pressure of a whole kingdom on your shoulders. You took the rides of this kingdom at a very young age and you reformed it completely. I can see why your heart is in this situation”.

Flame King's fire settled down as she fixed her eyes in the princess before her.

“Of course I didn’t want this” said Flame Princess.

“Then why...?”.

“The story is pretty wide known, isn't it?” she said, giving her back to Bubblegum, “But, if you mean why I kept on this, the story is very different. When I arrived at the throne, these people were so... unhappy. Their lives were so miserable and everything was my father's fault. I couldn't look at them suffering like that. I had suffered because of people’s lies and I didn't want anyone else to suffer because of my father's lies. I had to change things. I had to make my people happy”.

“The story sounds familiar to me...”, whispered Bubblegum.

“The feelings I had towards those lies, I turned them into something positive and useful. Now the Fire Kingdom is prosperous and glad. This is what I have to defend”.

“Do you miss the freedom?”.

“Asks the person who put me in a lantern since I was a baby”.

“Do you miss the grasslands? Being a carefree girl? Do you miss Finn?”.

“I miss all of that. Those were magic and beautiful times”, said Flame Princess with melancholic voice, “But that is past. I can't let myself being stuck in the past. I have to look forward. This is what I have now and what matters the most to me”.

“Would you... abdicate if you could? To enjoy freedom again?”.

“Freedom means nothing when...”.

Flame Princess stopped talking. His eyes were wide open, fixed in nothing. Her flames died down and then she fell on her knees. The bracelet made a sound. It was a constant beeping sound.

“Oh, no! No! Impossible!”, exclaimed Bubblegum.

The princess of the Candy Kingdom caught the Flame King before she fell to the ground.

“Flame Princess! Flame Princess! Phoebe! Answer me!”, she said desperately.

“I... I... My... my chest... hurts...”. Flame Princess' voice was breaking.

Bubblegum ran to the door and unlocked it.

“Help! I need help! The Flame King needs help here, now!”.

Within seconds, Flame Princess' brother, Kala and a pair of soldiers were in the office.

“What happened?”, asked Flame Princess' brother with loud voice.

“She's having a seizure. A big one. We have to put her in bed”.

Bubblegum looked at the bracelet. Five days remained, and Finn and Cinnamon Bun hadn't made any contact in a week.

“They won't make it” whispered Bubblegum. “They must make it”.

While the Flame King was being carried to a bed, she closed her eyes.

* * *

Finn blinked several times. When he opened his eyes completely, he was not in the tent anymore. The roof over him seemed to be made out of rock and the bed he was lying on felt the same.

He grunted weakly, but his breath seemed frantic, like if he needed new air with sudden urge. Then he remembered. He rapidly sat on the bed just to see more rock around him. The whole place seemed to be made out of rock. At the other side of that room, was Cinnamon Bun.

“CB? What...?” Finn looked around more. He saw steel bars where the door should be. “Where are we?”.

“You woke up. Good! It was about time”, replied Cinnamon Bun, without looking at him.

“I... I don’t know... if what I remember was real. Was I... knocked out by steam?”, asked Finn, incredulous.

“Poisonous steam, yeah. You are lucky you are awake right now. Most people would die within three days. You fought good. Your guardian angel saved you”, said the knight with a faint smile.

“Three days? How long was I sleep?”.

“Nine days”.

“Nine days? Oh my Glob! That's a lot!” exclaimed Finn, somewhat amused by his resistance. “Wait... nine days? Are we in the temple yet? Are we close? There's no time to waste!” said Finn, freaking out at the realization of the time lost.

“No. We are not in the temple nor close to it”.

“Then let's move!”.

“We can't. We are prisoners”.

Finn was baffled. His mind couldn't process the sentence his companion just stated. If almost two weeks had passed and they weren't close to the temple and they couldn't move, then what was going to happen?

“We are in the Tower of Silence”, said Cinnamon Bun, “This was a prison the enemies of the Roaz created for those who were against them and didn't help them to defeat them. Especially created to contain fire beings, there's nothing you or I can do to escape”.

“Who was it? Who put us here?” yelled Finn, getting out of the bed and demanding immediate answers, “I'm gonna cut them in half and then more halves until getting those numbers Pbubs taught me but I never learned!”.

“The Slime Empress”.

“The Slime what?”.

“Blargetha took over the Slime Kingdom and attacked other kingdoms, creating an empire. The Candy Kingdom has already fallen and, as far as I know, Princess Bubblegum and Phoebe are Blargetha's prisoners too”.

Finn stepped back in disbelief, breathing through his mouth. His head kept doing negative motions. He sat on the bed again, unable to accept the things Cinnamon Bun said. Suddenly, his sight became blurry and little salt water drops fell on the ground. He wanted to be in another dream; he wanted to wake up again in be in the tent, several days before, close to the temple and no threat back home.

“Did you try to communicate with Bubblegum? She never sends someone in a mission without a phone gem”.

“I communicated with her the night before the slime soldiers got us. They found the device and took it away from me. That was a week ago”.

“Why?” asked Finn, rather to himself than to his companion, “Why did she do it? Why did she attack? Why did they come here? Why does she want us?”.

“She wants you” replied Cinnamon Bun, “She wants you to legitimate her power. With you at her side, there's nothing that can stop her”.

“And how does she plan getting me in her side? Killing my friends, my family? Keeping me in this prison while I try to make my job and save someone's life?”, yelled Finn in anger.

“If you don't cooperate with her, more than your family and your friends are gonna die. That's her move on you. That's why Bubblegum and Flame Princess are still alive. But Phoebe... not for long”.

Cinnamon Bun approached to Finn and looked at him for a few seconds. The next thing that Finn knew about Cinnamon Bun, was that his pastry fist clashed against his cheek.

“Ow!”, exclaimed Finn in pain, “What was that for?”.

“For wandering alone in the desert when I told you not to do it. You delayed us”, replied Cinnamon Bun with stern voice.

“I suppose I deserve it”, said Finn, accepting the facts.

“Now, are you ready to escape tonight?”.

“What? I thought...”.

“Trust me” said Cinnamon Bun with a smile and putting his hand in Finn's shoulder, “Tonight, you will be free”.

* * *

The slime soldier was holding a tray with the meal of the star (and only) prisoners of the Tower of Silence. His way was enlightened by the torches along the circular corridor, drawing weird shapes on the ground and the walls. Finally, the soldier got to the cell and opened the door.

“Back up! It's dinner time!” ordered the soldier before entering into the cell.

This was the third time he delivered the meal and he was accustomed to Cinnamon Bun's presence. But, that night, there was no signs of him inside the cell, not even of the young human that used to be in the bed the whole day.

“What the f...?”.

The soldier was taken by something from upside. It covered his mouth and within seconds, he was tied up with bandages and clothes.

Once Cinnamon Bun and Finn neutralized the guard, they came out of the cell. There, Finn realized how tall the tower was. They were at the bottom of it and the walls went up for at least 6 more stories.

“That way”, whispered Cinnamon Bun, pointing to his left, where Finn was.

Both of them crouched and walked by the circular corridor. Just two doors after, they reached the place where they had their belongings confiscated. After recovering them, they kept creeping until reaching a rope that was used to bring water and food down.

“We can’t use the stairs. You have to climb this rope, it will get you outside. As soon you are outside, run”

Finn began to climb the rope but, in that instant, a huge light fell upon him. They had been discovered. The alarm was activated and dozens of slime soldiers started to shoot arrows and run towards them.

“CB, quick! Get on the rope!”, said Finn.

“You keep going! I'll distract them! Follow the head of the warrior in the sky, it will lead you to the Behram Temple”.

“I'm not gonna leave you here! They will kill you!”.

“And I'm not gonna let Phoebe die!”, yelled the knight, “Go! You have the key”.

Cinnamon Bun took his lance and charged towards the slime soldiers. Finn doubted, he wanted to fight side by side with him, help him. But he was clear: the most important thing in that moment was Flame Princess. He kept climbing the rope, not wanting to look down. When he almost got to the top, he heard Cinnamon Bun yelp in pain, but he continued. As soon as he got out from the tower, he ran away. He looked back just to see how most of the tower was underground and it looked more like a pit from outside.

He ran away for several minutes until his legs begged for mercy. He was alone, in the desert. He threw his backpack away and fell on the sand, looking at the sky. The day couldn't get worse. He woke up after days of wasted time, he abandoned his companion who probably was dead by then and now he was lost around endless miles of sand.

“How am gonna do it?” he asked, panting. “How am I supposed to find the temple and return home in time? I've failed” he said with shame, “I cannot go forward. I've crushed everyone's hopes, including mines. Just... if I wasn't been so... poo brained... he could have saved Flame Princess and kicked slime butts by now”. He thought of Flame Princess. “I wanted... I only wanted you to be mi...”.

He cut off his words and meditated about them, his desires. A shooting star passed upon him, large and brilliant.

“Maybe, someday... _you_ will want to be mine”.

Finn kept looking at the stars. He remembered those nights with Jake, Bubblegum and Marceline. They used to talk about the figures in the sky. And then he saw it. There was a particular formation of stars just above him. It seemed like someone carrying a shield and a mace.

“The warrior in the sky...”, he whispered.

He got up, took his backpack and walked where the head of the warrior told him to go.


	8. I'm Not A Hero

The Fire Army's general entered in the room. The place seemed colder than usual even to be in the Fire Kingdom.

He felt different too. He felt his emotions being absorbed by a feeling of worry in his chest. The hard get-away-from-me face that he always displayed was replaced by an endless frown and a vague stare. More than once since his sister's last episode, he found himself being unable to focus on the strategies the Fire Kingdom Resistance had to follow. And every time he visited his sister's room and saw her on the bed, with weak flames and struggling to breath, he felt a part of him denying the truth, roaring to destiny to make it all a bad dream.

“How is she?”, he asked.

“Still unconscious. Abnormal breath. Her temperature rises and lowers randomly. Her condition hasn't changed importantly in the last four days”, listed Bubblegum, from her chair. “But still alive”.

“How much time is left according to that watch?” asked the general.

“It's a bracelet” said Bubblegum as she got up and walked to check Flame Princess, “And it says... thirty six hours”.

“And where are my sister's knight and that pitiful child? The journey back from there takes a whole week! Communicate with them!”.

“I would if I could!”, replied Bubblegum. “I haven't been able to call them! Maybe they got lost. Maybe the slimes took them. I don't know! We just have to wait. It's the only thing we can do...”.

“But everything was fine! Why did she have another seizure so suddenly? I demand an explanation!” he exclaimed. “At least... tell me what happened to her” he said with softer voice.

“She was turning into me”.

Bubblegum returned to her chair. She bent over and put her hands on her head.

She felt out of control and lost. She also demanded to destiny to wake her up just to see that everything had been a bad dream. The sensation of being between the rock and a hard place was unacceptable for her. There was nothing she could do to fix things, she was not in control of anything. She hated those moments in which her hands and her brain were not required, simply because the situation was beyond her resources. She hated when she was useless and had to rely everything on...

“Finn...”, the candy princess whispered, “Hurry up...”.

Meanwhile, Kala observed the young ruler on the bed, waiting for the moment in which she opened her eyes again.

“Don't worry, my child” said the elder woman, “This night, the heart awakens”.

* * *

Finn emptied his last bottle of water. With each passing day, the sun seemed hotter and hotter. He began to think in saving his sweat in a bottle, if it wasn't so salty and gross.

He started to believe that maybe the stories of the great Behram Temple in the desert were only legends. That there was no such thing and the Roaz heart was just a children's tale. He had wandered four days in the desert, always keeping his way to the North, where the head of the celestial warrior led him.

He was tired, hungry and angry. The time was precious for him, just a simple minute delay could cost Flame Princess' life. He had wasted enough time. But the Temple wouldn't appear.

Finn looked his surroundings. Nothing but sand, rocks, the warm wind and the merciless sun upon him. There were no signs of any civilization, nor ancient or modern. That was driving him crazy. After what Cinnamon Bun told him in the prison, it was even more important to return home as soon as possible. But now he was trapped in the middle of the desert, lost and alone, with no way of knowing if he was near to the Behram Temple or not.

“If only I hadn't been so dumb...” he said to himself, “If only I hadn't been so selfish... this wouldn't be happening!” he yelled in anger. “It wasn't supposed to be like this! Now Cinnamon Bun is probably dead and it's all my fault!”.

He fell on his knees, tears running down his face. His fists clenched over his knees.

“I lost control. I lost myself”, he whispered. “And so many people will die because of me...”.

He got up again and wiped away his tears, wiping away as well sand that got stuck in them. He pulled off his hat, releasing his shoulder-long blond locks and allowing them to dance with the wind of the desert. The young man stared into the horizon, at the border between the sand and the sky.

“Listen to me!”, Finn exclaimed, “I'm not worth of anything right now! But there's people who need me! People whose lives are important and precious! And the only way to save them is getting the heart beneath your sands! Show me the way and I will do everything in my power to save those lives!”. Finn lifted his bear hat. “I'll give you my sense of life!”.

The wind suddenly blew harder, lifting sand in a way Finn had never seen before. It formed a whirlwind around the young man. Finn covered himself with his right arm to avoid the sand from entering into his eyes. He felt himself being dragged by the force of the whirlwind but he remained still. He couldn't see anything beyond the sand around him.

He lost grip of his bear hat and it was dragged away from him.

The whirlwind stopped, letting Finn see what it had made. He saw a road made of floor tile in the ground. It went on for miles.

“Thank you” he said and went on his way over the floor tile.

Finn walked several minutes with nothing to highlight, until he saw something in the distance, in the middle of the air distorted by the heat.

“Is that... a building? It's a house?”.

Finn ran towards that thing, realizing that it was in fact the ruins of a building. It was made out of rock. But the rock was different to any other the human had seen in the desert. It was black, eroded and wrinkled.

“It's like... the rocks in the Fire Kingdom”.

He looked around. There were more buildings made off the same material close to him. They were all destroyed and even the wood in them was burned. He dared to step inside of a house. It seemed like, whoever used to live there, didn't meet a good end. All the furniture was there, but it was almost unrecognizable. There were amorphic pieces of metal in the ground, probably melted by the same fire that consumed the place. Roasted books, charred clothes and the silence of solitude was what Finn found in those houses.

The human walked through the old streets among the houses and other buildings that used to be frequented by the population of that place, in the past, before the fire of rage and envy consumed it all. He soon reached what apparently was the center of the city. A big hexagonal plaza with a font in the middle.

“Man, I could use some water and this font is dry. And surely it was a lava font or something like that”.

Finn observed the plaza. It had six buildings surrounding it and six ways out of it, including the one he had arrived from.

“Now, where do I go?”.

Finn knew he wouldn't find anything if he took the ways that went in the same direction he had come from. That left him with three ways to follow. He took the way in the middle. It went downstairs for several yards. Finn sighed, in part in relief since it wasn't upstairs. The stairs ended in a corner and when Finn turned in it, he saw the Temple in the distance, in the outskirts of the city.

“There it is!”, he exclaimed.

It was a big square building made off rock, bigger than any other in the city. It had two towers at the sides that had an onion-shaped pinnacle. It also seemed to be half buried in the sand.

Finn ran down the stairs that were left and then a couple of miles more into the desert until reaching the place. He stood there, admiring it. It was totally made of black smooth stone, unlike the other buildings he saw before. He walked through a way with pillars at the sides. There was a point where the sand started to gather around the pillars and on the road, creating a dune that Finn climbed.

He reached what seemed to be the entrance, but just the arc in the superior part of it; the rest was buried under the sand. The figure of a bird with big wings carved in the stone greeted him.

“There must be a way to sneak in”.

At his right, he found what seemed to be a window. He looked inside. It was pitch black and the lack of any other light sources apart from that window showed it was the only entrance. Finn looked down to realize it was a several feet free fall until the ground inside.

The human exhaled and began a meditation tantrum. His breath was steady and soft. His telekinetic arm appeared at his side and, with that force, he gathered rocks from the surroundings to build a stairway from the window to the ground inside the temple.

Once Finn was inside, he perceived the darkness as deeper than before.

“I can't see anything at all. I need a torch. But where am I going to find...?”.

Finn stopped at mid-sentence and grabbed a piece of wood that was in the ground. He took off his backpack and took one of his spare shirts, as well as the candle inside a bottle that Flame Princess had given to him and Cinnamon Bun. It was still burning, just as she promised. Finn stared at the flame, feeling sadness but admiration at the same time.

“Don't go extinct. I'm close”.

He tied up his shirt at the end of the piece of wood and lit it up with the candle.

Finn walked fast, for he knew the time was not on his side. He walked into the darkness for a couple of minutes between pillars, sand and silence until he reached another door. It was taller than Billy, for what Finn could imagine. It was like a door specially made for a god, leaving Finn baffled at its magnificence. Strangely, it seemed to be made out of rock, just as the rest of the temple. It had a curved triangle shape.

The torch in Finn's hand started to die out and he freaked out. He gathered more wood from around and made a bonfire. Once the fire was settled and safe, Finn returned to the door to examine it. It was a monolith of grey rock. There were no locks and the crack in the middle didn't seem deep enough to reach the other side.

“Is this even a door?”, Finn asked before pushing the rock, but to no avail. “Open you makin tophin door!”, he groaned while pushing. “Jake would kill me if he knew I said that”.

Finn stepped back to watch the whole door once again. Suddenly, a small bright called his attention. It was coming from the left side of the door. The bright extended, from the left side to the top, and from there to the other side. The bright points were runes of the same style he had seen back in the Fire Kingdom or when Flambo casted the flame shield on him.

“Um... door? I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I know you are trying to tell me something but... I don't understand your language. Could you... put it in an easier way?”.

The runes exploded, sending sparks towards Finn, who covered himself with his arm. When he looked again, the bright around the door was forming itself again, but this time in a way Finn could comprehend.

_“Only the warm of the inherited blood can make the rock gates burn”._

“I told you easier! Is that too much to ask for?”, complained Finn. “Okay. Warm, blood, and the door will open. And I have no children! So, that must be the inherited blood, because I haven't inherited anyone. The inherited blood is mine. Well, let's do it”.

Finn took off a small dagger from his backpack and made a cut in his hand.

“Agh, it burns”, he groaned, “But I need to open this door”. He breathed a couple of times, preparing himself for whatever happened after opening the door. “Here we go”.

Finn put his hand in the door and waited. And waited. And waited a little more. The blood from his hand ran down to the floor but the door never opened.

“Open!” he yelled. Nothing happened. Finn stepped back again and put a bandage in his hand. “Glob! I forgot Stormo! He's like my son!”. He sat in front of the fire.

“Now what? I've come so far, I'm so close and I can't pass that pluppin door!” he complained. “I can't just... stop here and return with empty hands. What am I gonna say? 'Oh, I'm sorry Flame Princess. I couldn't get the heart and now you are gonna die. And CB is dead too so, don't worry, you are gonna see him soon'. No! I can't do that!”, he yelled, kicking sand.

He stared at the fire. The crack of the blazing wood was relaxing to him.

“I just want everything to be like it used to be. I want her to have the chance to make everything she wants to do. I want her to live”.

Finn focused in the fire. He had remembrances of those days in which he wished to be able to touch it without pain nor hurt. Days in he wished to embrace it and kiss it without the fear of destroying the world.

A spark jumped from the wood. It flew down, slowly, until ending in Finn's hand, over his bandages. Finn looked at it, it was still burning. The fire in middle of the blood. Finn eyes opened wide in sudden realization.

Finn took a burning log from the bonfire and approached to the door. His heart was pounding against his chest to the point it felt like it was coming out from it at any second. His legs felt heavier and heavier with every step.

“Could... could it work?”.

Finn leaned down the log, allowing the fire to make contact with the rock.

The door caught on fire. Finn watched in awe how the rock burned even more easily than the wood. In matter of seconds, the rock door vanished, revealing an illuminated hall which ending was the source of the light.

“It's time!”, he said, stepping into the corridor.

Finn walked through the corridor. The light at the end of it was so intense he had to narrow his eyes to stand its brightness as he got closer.

“This is it. That’s the place. It couldn't be any other”, he said to himself. “If I have learned something in so many years of dungeon crawls, is that the most showy place is where the treasure is. But, how far is it?”, he asked, realizing he had walked for kind of a long amount of time for what he imagined when he first stepped in the corridor.

The light grew in intensity, engulfing Finn. The human closed his eyes but kept walking. After several seconds, he perceived a change in the sound of his footsteps. In the corridor they echoed, but now it was a muffled sound.

Finn opened his eyes to find himself inside a white room with two doors and a dome in the top. There was a large rock garden in the middle and a long but narrow river that ran from one of the walls to the other side of the room, passing by the side of the rock garden.

A crack sound at Finn's right called his attention. A new door opened in the wall, letting a bird-like creature with a tea set enter in the room. His feathers had orange and black tones and his beak was dark yellow; it reminded Finn of an eagle but with sketchy feathers. He wore a large brown robe that barely let anyone else see his claws.

“Oh, I see you are finally here. You are late, though”, said the creature. “Come on, take a sit with me. It's tea time”.

The creature sat in a small table, soon followed by Finn.

“Who are you?”, asked Finn.

“Who? Me? Oh, right! Please, excuse my impertinence. I'm not used to visits. My name is Khshaeta, I'm the guardian of the Roaz heart”

“The Roaz heart is here? Where? I need it, now!”, exclaimed Finn, getting up from his chair.

“Calm down, child. You don't even know how much time is left”, said Khshaeta calmly, serving two cups of tea.

“I know it's like... two weeks. I barely made it here in a week and half and it takes another week to go back. Please, I need that heart”

“It's twenty-eight hours”, said the guardian, sipping from his cup.

“What?”, said Finn, after a silence, shocked by the news.

“I can see what is happening in the Fire Kingdom. She was under a lot of pressure and her heart couldn't stand that much. Now she is weaker than ever and she has barely more than a day to live”.

“Then you see?”, yelled Finn, “Give me that heart, now!”.

“Look... time runs differently here, okay? What you could feel like an hour, it's more or less a minute out there. Take a sit and drink your tea. It will help you”

Somehow, Khshaeta words calmed and relieved Finn. He sat down again and took a sip from his cup. He felt a pleasant warm sensation running down his throat and then hitting his stomach. He even sighed in relief and closed his eyes for a few seconds. The calm born in his chest embraced him slowly, fading away his worry, his tiredness, his hunger and thirst, giving him more vitality.

“Relax. Besides, I don't think you could do it in time. There's no way! Why don't you... stay here with me? I could use a sword man in case anyone wants to steal the heart”

“I cannot give up. Even if the time is against me, I cannot. I promised, I swore! It's my duty. I cannot fail to them” he said, looking at his reflection in the tea.

The bird-like guardian stared at Finn and then nodded.

“Listen... I didn't know _you_ would come here, neither _her_ would be the reason”, said Khshaeta. “But I knew someone would come someday and it would be important. The only reason for anyone to travel through that desert just to get here, it's a noble reason”.

“Yeah... I'm not so sure about that...”, said Finn with a frown.

The guardian put his wing in Finn's shoulder.

“Boy...”.

Finn looked at his eyes. Their dark pupils and orange irises could terrify anyone. But Finn found reassurance and wisdom in them.

“Call me Finn”.

“Finn... I'm old. I've seen more things in my life that you could ever see in three of your lives. And I know the ultimate reason you are here is the right one”.

Khshaeta got up from his chair and walked towards the rock garden. He slid his winds into the gravel and took them out after a few seconds. He returned with Finn, placing a piece of charcoal in the table.

“There it is. It's yours. The Roaz heart”

Finn took the piece of charcoal between his hands. He was dumbfounded and speechless. He saw one side and another of the charcoal, finding nothing special with it.

“Are you sure...?”, said Finn, moving his hands in front of him.

“Yeah! Well, it's dim because of all these years but a little of fire should help. We have no fire in here though. Ironic, uh? Anyways, eat it”.

“What?”, exclaimed Finn in disbelief.

“Eat it. If you are going to somehow magically do it in time to the Fire Kingdom, you need to put it somewhere you can't lose it”

“It could go in my backpack”, claimed Finn.

“No. You could lose your backpack. Eat it. It will keep it warm and safe. Believe me. Besides, it doesn't taste so bad. Just, don't chew it, swallow it whole”.

Finn looked at the charcoal in his hands again.

“Well, it looks better than rocks and I don't have to chew it”. He breathed deeply. “For Phoebe”. He put the charcoal in his mouth and swallowed it completely. “Bleh!”, he exclaimed sticking his tongue out.

“You did good! Now there's the exit”, said Khshaeta, pointing at the only door that hadn't been used in the room.

“Is that all?”.

“Yes. Now move if you want to do it in time!”.

Finn got up from his chair and sipped from the tea again to get rid of the taste of the charcoal.

“Well... thank you. You have been of great help”, said the human.

“You are welcome. And remember: a heart could be earned, but it has to be given”.

Finn was confused by Khshaeta's words, but decided to shrug it off and walk towards the exit.

“Good luck in the rest of your way, Finn”, whispered the guardian, “I've seen in your heart. Don't surrender to your demons”.

* * *

“I wonder if this corridor is as long as the...”. Before Finn could finish his sentence, he saw the light that meant the exit from the Behram Temple. “Nice! Less time wasted”.

Finn came out of the temple, entering again in the desert. He hadn't made more than two steps forward when he heard a devious laugh and voice at his side.

“So, he tricked you, didn't he?”.

Finn immediately casted his telekinetic arm, drew his sword and assumed a preventive position.

“Who's there?”.

“He told you that piece of old charcoal could save her. You are a fool if you believed him for a second”, said the voice, still with no one in sight.

“Says who? Someone who doesn't even shows a face?”.

“Alright, I'll show myself”. A humanoid figure with brown skin, black beard and black robes showed in front of Finn. “I'm just saying... that heart could work, yeah. But is not the heart that _you_ want”.

“What... are you talking about?”, said Finn, lowering his defenses.

“You want her heart, don't you? And I don't mean that thing that keeps her alive, no! I mean... her mind, her desire, her passion... all for you and only for you”, said the man, with a devious grin.

Finn retreated his arm and his sword.

“I see I got your attention. Let me show you what I can give you”.

With a movement of his hand, the man in black robes got the two of them engulfed in a dark whirlwind that disappeared seconds later to leave them in the Fire Kingdom.

“Don't get confused, boy. This is just an illusion to show you my offer. Let's pay a visit to the castle, shall we?”. The man put his hand in Finn's back and they both walked through the guards and the walls until reaching the throne room.

Finn's mouth opened in surprise when he saw Flame Princess and himself sitting on big thrones at the center of the room. They were holding hands and smiling at each other. While the girl was wearing her usual royal attires, he found himself surprised when he saw that his alternate persona was wearing a dark brown armor that covered his entire body, except for his head.

The scene vanished once again in darkness. When the vision came back, Finn was now in the royal chambers. In the bed, Flame Princess was embraced by Finn's left arm and she was smiling. Although they were covered by the blankets, it was obvious they weren't wearing any clothes.

“And, under there, is the future of the kingdom. The legacy of your denied passion. The slap in the face you two will give to Mother Nature”, whispered the man in Finn's ear. “You just have to let me fire up that useless piece of charcoal inside you, and this will not be just a mere dream”.

Finn frowned in disbelief and confusion. It was as if that man had seen the dreams Finn had many years ago. Everything seemed so real, so perfect. But something was bothering Finn's mind.

“No... I don't... I can't...”

“I understand. Seeing your perfect life just in front of you must be overwhelming. I let you think and decide”, hissed the man from Finn's back. “Listen to _your_ heart”.

“My heart?”, asked Finn to himself. “My heart...”, he whispered, in a tone that denoted realization, starting in him a new train of thought. “My heart!”, he exclaimed in a low voice, with a smile.

“Yes, your heart!”, groaned the man. “Are you going to let me...”, said the man with a mildly furious voice, but stopped. “... make you happy?”, he said with a kind but still suspicious voice.

Finn turned and looked straight at him.

“No. I won't”.

The man in the black robes frowned in anger. The stare he was giving to Finn was enough to scare him to the point of making him step back and reconsider what he had just said.

“You are nothing but a fool child”, he hissed with a deep and terrifying voice. “And I pity you”.

A noise in the back of Finn made him turn to the bed again. His alternate version was wearing the dark brown armor. The arm of the vision slowly got covered by fire until he brandished a sword. Everything else apart from the black robe man and the two Finns disappeared, leaving only darkness around.

“Exterminate him, open him and bring me that heart”.

The alternate Finn charged against Finn. The young man casted his telekinetic arm and his sword again in the blink of an eye and blocked the first swing. The alternate Finn was in advantage; he was bigger and seemed fiercer at fight than the normal Finn, who couldn't do anything but dodge and block the attacks of his opponent.

Finn tripped and fell on his back. In that instant, he saw what he had seen for months before the fight. The sword of the warrior with the dark brown armor caught on fire and he was ready to end it all with just a swing. Finn was paralyzed. He gasped, taking what could be the last breath of his life. The time ran slower for him. He closed his eyes.

Jake and BMO faces where the first thing that appeared, the bros with whom he was always happy. Then, Princess Bubblegum, the princess that trusted him more than anyone else in the world. Marceline was there too, as the most radical and fun girl he had ever met. The faces of all the people he could remember helping, of all the princesses he had saved.

And then, Flame Princess' face appeared. As clear as the first time, as pretty as always. Her smile, her giggles, her infinite appreciation and love for the things in the outside world that were new for her. The shine in her eyes when she looked at the sunset. Her smile when breathing the fresh air in the grasslands.

The alternate Finn rose his sword and let it fall over Finn. In the very last second, Finn's sword blocked the attack of its blazing counterpart. The dark brown armor warrior tried to break the resistance of the other sword but it wouldn't cede.

Slowly, the normal Finn got on his feet, pushing the other sword back. Its counterpart blazed more intensely, but it wasn't enough to recover. Finn clenched his teeth and his grasp on his sword. He stared directly at the warrior's eyes, which became red after that.

“What are you fighting for, _hero?_ ”, yelled the other Finn, mockingly. “What do you expect from all this? What do you expect from your quest? You are going to return home with your hands empty! You act like this isn’t just to get what you want, don't deny it!”

Finn kept staring at him.

“You fight for glory, you fight for rewards, you fight to get her! She should be yours! It is the only thing you are fighting for, hero!”

“No!”, yelled Finn at the top of his lungs.

Suddenly, a weak blue flame lighted up in Finn's chest, although he was unaware of that.

“I fight for justice!”, he said as he pushed his sword. “I fight for the greater good!”, he said, pushing his sword once again and making his opponent step back. The flame in his chest grew and engulfed his body. “I fight for the people I love!”. Finn swung his sword, breaking the resistance of the other Finn. “I am not a hero!”. Finn prepared his attack, as the blue fire reached the ground and began to dance and swirl around him. “I am a knight!”.

Finn, in a single and fast movement, stabbed the other Finn in the chest, easily passing through his armor. He retired the sword seconds later. Finn's breath was heavy and there was sweat running down his face. The blue flames died out.

The other Finn fell on his knees and looked at his wound. Then, he looked up at the real Finn and smiled.

“You did good”.

The darkness around cracked like glass and crumbled down. Finn found himself in another white room. That one, however, had a big bonfire in the center. The fire in there shook and extended itself in front of Finn. A new humanoid figure appeared, but this time with orange flaming skin and white robes.

“You did good, Finn the Human”, said the woman, with a calm voice that relaxed Finn.

The young man laughed.

“Then... you are...?”

“I am Ahura, first member of the Roaz family. My name means light. And I must say, your light is something I had not seen in a long, long time, Finn”.

“Thank you”, said Finn, after a giggle and with a blush.

“I mean it. Look it for yourself”, said Ahura, pointing at Finn's chest.

Finn looked down, realizing there was a small blue fire in his chest.

“Oh my Glob! I'm burning!”

“No, Finn”, said Ahura, amused by his reaction. “Remember the charcoal Khshaeta gave you? It is not the Roaz heart. It's something we created to discover who was worthy of taking away my fire. It only burns with a noble and unselfish heart. And you made it burn like we had no idea it could”.

Finn looked at his chest again. The flame was small, but not weak at all. It was restless, just like him.

“Do... do you really think I'm worthy of this?”.

“I believe what the Fire of Revelation says. And it says that you have overcome your demons, Finn. It told us your biggest fear about your task and we are pleased you could defeat it. You have made this old numb heart wake up again”, she said, with a hand on her chest.

Finn grinned. For the first time in weeks, he truly felt righteous and good. That flame inside him had brought new light in his path and showed him the correct ways. It reminded him of the things he used to fight for.

Ahura left Finn and walked towards the bonfire. She introduced her hands in the fire, taking off a floating orange energy orb with small lightnings running around it. It was like a miniature of the sun.

“This is my heart, Finn. The only chance to save the life of Phoebe, King of the Fire Kingdom in Ooo”. With a movement of her hand, a black chest of rock covered the orb and Ahura handed it to Finn, who slowly took it and stared at it.

“Now, my spirit can finally transcend, for my heart is in good hands and will be used to bring light in the world. Thank you, Finn the Human”.

“No, thanks to you. I will appreciate this for the rest of my life”, said Finn ceremoniously. “Wait, will I have this fire for the rest of my life? Should I spit the charcoal? I don't think the other way to get rid of it is correct for such an important thing”, he said, embarrassed.

“The fire will seem to die out, but it will remain inside of you. It's a gift from me to your heart”.

Ahura's personification then floated up, with her arms extended. Her body began to bright with intensity, forcing Finn to cover his eyes with his arm. The light remained for several seconds (and Finn would swear he heard a magical chorus in the air the whole time) until it slowly faded away.

When Finn opened his eyes, he was once again in the desert and it was already night, a starry night. Finn looked down at the chest in his hands. There was a paper over it.

_“Twenty-three hours. Run like fire, Finn. Good luck! ~Khshaeta”_

Finn sighed and looked up at the sky. The worry in his body came back. His hands were cold and the sensation in his stomach was like a void inside of it.

“How am I gonna make it in twenty-three hours from here to Ooo?”.

Finn heard a sound in the sky.

“Kaw!”.

“A bird?”, asked Finn.

“Ka kaw!”, the sound was getting closer.

Finn saw a shadow in the sky coming right at him. It was something big. As it was getting closer, Finn could see it also had four legs, the shape of a cat and blond hair.

“Stormo!”, exclaimed Finn.

The sphinx descended on the ground and ran towards Finn, making happy pitch noises as he rubbed himself against his father, making the human laugh.

“Stormo! How did you...? You know? It doesn't matter! I'm so happy you are here!”, said Finn, hugging Stormo. “You came just in the right moment. Do you think I could ride you to go back to Ooo?”.

“Kaw!”, replied Stormo, offering himself.

Finn smiled and mounted Stormo, who immediately jumped on the air and began to fly at high speed. From up there, Finn looked down, watching the temple, the city and the road he had followed to get there.

“Stormo, there's a place in that direction”, said Finn, pointing towards the way he had come from days before. “I owe a friend something. Do you think we could go there first and get to Ooo in time?”.

The sphinx nodded, fastening his flight.

“I won't leave you behind, Cinnamon Bun. You trusted in me and it's time for me to make amends with you”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry xmas to all!! Hope you enjoyed today's chapter!!


	9. The Fire Rises

Three slime guards were watching over the cell where Cinnamon Bun's motionless body was resting. Then again, he couldn't move too much without one of his legs. Just like every night, the fire in the torches drew strange and distorted shapes in the wall.

The pastry knight was since then waiting, trusting. The loss of his left leg didn't matter too much, as long as the young man managed to come back. That night, he decided to not sleep and await.

“Hey...”, said one of the guards to his companions, pointing at the sky. “What is that?”.

“It’s too big for a bird”, said one of them.

“Uh? It dropped something!”.

Finn's body dashed down at high speed, entering in the pit. With support of Stormo's psychic abilities, he reached the ground safe and sound, just in front of Cinnamon Bun's cell.

“It's him! The boy! Sound the alarm!”, said one of the guards, and another one blew a whistle.

Before the reinforcements could reach the place, Finn disarmed and left unconscious with punches and kicks the three guards in the cell. The reinforcements came and Finn fought a dozen of them easily, scaring the remaining guards enough to run away.

“Slimes are not good fighters. Blargetha made a good decision when creating those tanks”, said Finn.

He used his sword to unlock the cell and open the door.

“Glad to see you still alive”, greeted Finn.

“I could say the same, too”, replied Cinnamon Bun with a smile, from his bed.

“We need to hurry up. We have like twenty hours before Flame Princess' heart gives up”.

“How do you know that?”.

“I'll tell you later. Right now, we have to move. Get up!”.

“I can't, Finn. They cut my leg the night you escaped. I can't move”, said Cinnamon Bun, with grief in his voice.

The human looked worried at the place where his leg should be, but smiled afterward.

“Don't worry 'bout that, friend. I got you covered. Let me help you”.

Finn helped his friend to get up from the bed and held him with his arm to walk out of the cell. Finn whistled at the air and they both immediately began to float upwards, until they left the pit.

“Oh, I see your guardian angel helped you”, said Cinnamon Bun.

“My guardian angel?”, asked Finn.

“Yeah! He dragged you off the venomous steam. If it wasn't for him...”, Cinnamon Bun cut his sentence while Finn helped him to ride the sphinx, “... you could have died right there”.

Finn walked in front of Stormo. They both touched foreheads and Finn kissed his cheek.

“Thanks, son”, he whispered.

Finn got on Stormo, in front of Cinnamon Bun.

“Hold on tight. We are gonna fly fast if we want to make it in time”.

With that, Stormo flew into the air at high speed. The wind made Finn's hair messy and it was strange for him. He wasn't accustomed to let his hair free at the will of the wind, but now his hat was gone. It was buried in the middle of the desert, along with his selfish motives.

He never stopped looking ahead, waiting for the first light from Ooo to appear. There were just a few big light sources in Ooo, so it was better to pay close attention the whole time.

“We are close, Flame Princess. Just wait a little more”

* * *

“Empress Blargetha, we are honored you came here”, exclaimed one of the slime captains, part of the welcome committee in the Fire Kingdom.

“I really didn't want to come here again, but do I have any other option?”, said Blargetha. “Those rebels are becoming an annoyance. We have to crash them immediately. Take me with Goliad”.

“As you wish, Her Majesty”.

A group of soldiers escorted the empress inside the castle, until Goliad's room. The empress entered alone and greeted the sphinx.

“Goliad! My dear friend! Are you having trouble with these fools? Don't worry, I brought four or five tanks with me and some troops more”.

“What about the Titans? Why didn't you bring some?”, asked Goliad, looking out at the window.

“The Titans are in defensive stage. We can't risk them in direct combat so they are positioned in the Candy Kingdom”.

“You lie”, said Goliad, bluntly. “I can see your mind. I know you fear me and what can I do with a couple of those Titans against you”.

Blargetha frowned in dislike and tried to groan silently.

“I know you are angry. But that's okay. I understand your reasons to be afraid. Although I would like the Titans to bring back peace and order to this land, and accomplish our task of the perfect society, I understand your weak mind is afraid”.

“I'm not afraid!”, blurted Blargetha in anger.

Goliad turned her head almost one hundred and eighty degrees to look at her, something that terrified the empress; she was unable to hide it and left out a shocked little gasp. Goliad turned again to the window, ignoring the woman behind her.

“My brother is coming”.

“Your what?”. Blargetha looked puzzled.

“My brother, Stormo. The other sphinx created by mother Bubblegum. She created him to stop me from taking over the kingdom and improve it. Our mental powers are even and so we got engaged in a psychic battle that should last for eternity. Until your war liberated us both. And now, to our demise, he's coming with his father”.

“His father? Who is his father and why should it be a problem for us?”. Blargetha was offended by Goliad's words and her sudden but mild distrust.

“Finn is his father. Mother Bubblegum created him from Finn's DNA”, replied Goliad, with his gaze fixed in the window. “I've developed a strong and deep link with him in our battle, which allows me to see where he is now”.

“How much will it take for them to come here?”.

“Six hours. I suggest you to prepare a big attack on the rebels. Finn will have nothing to fight for, he will surrender to you and I'll be able to finally defeat my brother”.

“I like the way you think, darling”, said Blargetha with a smile.

“There's one important thing. You must kill the Flame Princess”, said Goliad, as cold as she had been talking the whole time.

“Wha-? Why?”.

“She's sick. She's the reason why Finn was in the Hopeless Borderlands. They bring with them the cure for her. Kill the princess and you will destroy his will”.

“You are truly malefic”, said Blargetha, “And I love that. I'll give the immediate order to attack the rebels”, said Blargetha as she left the room.

Goliad kept staring at the window. Waiting.

* * *

“Hear me now, soldiers!”, exclaimed the Fire Army's general from the rail in the second floor of the prison. “Tonight is the night! We have been delaying this too much already! We had enough of those slimes leaving their repulsive spittle on our land!”.

The soldiers below him roared in support of his words.

“We are gonna kick them out of our home! We will bring peace again! We are not going to be subjects to anyone but us!”.

The soldiers roared once again, lifted their weapons and fists, and cheered their general's words.

“Only the castle remains safe for them! Fight this night! Fight by my side! And I swear you are going to see your families again! For our lives! For the lives of our loved ones! For our land! Get ready! We march in one hour!”.

The general left the rail and the excited multitude behind, and returned to the cell where his sister struggled to keep herself alive. He ignored the distress and worry in both Kala's and Bubblegum's faces and went towards the bed. He kneeled down, took her hand and kissed her forehead.

“You won't die as a prisoner. You will die as a king”.

“Is too soon to talk like that, don't you think?”, said Bubblegum.

The general stood up and made his way towards the exit. He stopped himself and, without looking at the sugary princess, he replied.

“It’s too late to have any hope in your knights”. And he left the room.

Bubblegum looked at the bracelet in Flame Princess' wrist. It marked less than sixteen hours.

“C'mon, Finn and Cinnamon Bun”, she whispered and then sighed. She looked down at the floor again, her fingers folded as if she was about to begin a pray. “I believe in both of you”.

* * *

Finn had seen a light five minutes before, making his heart pump hard. He wondered if Stormo could feel his heart beating against his neck. As the time passed, he tried to identify the source to no avail whatsoever.

“Look! The Candy Kingdom!”, exclaimed Cinnamon Bun, pointing at the source of the light.

They flew right above it, high enough to avoid being noticed by the guards. Finn took a pair of binoculars from his backpack and observed the place.

“There are slimes everywhere. They have tanks and... some strange big robots”, said Finn and then passed the binoculars to Cinnamon Bun.

“This is bad”, said Cinnamon Bun, “They found the Titans. Robots created by Princess Bubblegum to defend the Kingdom. They are almost indestructible”.

Cinnamon Bun kept watching the kingdom until he spotted something that made him gasp in awe.

“Finn! Look at that! Over there!”, he said, pointing at the outskirts of the Candy Kingdom and handing the binoculars to Finn.

“Oh my Glob...”, the human exclaimed as he watched through the binoculars. “Stormo! Land there!”, Finn ordered and Stormo replied positively.

Stormo landed in the middle of the cotton candy forest, just in front of hundreds of Rattleballs.

“Finn, is that you?”, said the only cloaked Rattleballs, approaching to him.

“Uh... yeah! It's me! Um... you are... you? The Rattleballs I know, I mean”.

“Yes. Does my army impress you?”, said the cloaked guardian, smiling.

“Yeah! Pretty much”, replied Finn, still baffled for the scene. “How did you...?”

“Hey! Rattleballs! Is everything...?”, said Root Beer Guy, coming out from the bushes. But he stopped mid-sentence when he saw the human, “Finn?”.

“Yes, it's me!”

“And isn't that Stormo?”.

“Yes! And before any of you ask something else, can you tell me why- no, I know why”, he rectified. “Can you tell me how is that there are hundreds of Rattleballs in front of me?”.

“The Slime Empire attacked, Finn. And we brought back my kind, to protect the peace of the Candy Kingdom”.

“Are you gonna attack now? Like... right now?”, asked Finn.

“No, that would be a sure defeat”, said Root Beer Guy, “We are gonna help other kingdoms to liberate themselves first, so there will be no reinforcements for the slimes when we try to take back the Candy Kingdom. All their forces are gonna be here and we can defeat them once and for all”.

“That's pretty smart!”, complimented Finn.

“Thank you very much”, said Root Beer Guy with a grin.

“I'd like to help you but I have to go. Serious and important business in the Fire Kingdom”, said Finn as he made his way back to ride Stormo. “See you and good luck!”, he said as Stormo began his flight.

“Good luck for you too, Finn and CB!”, said Rattleballs and Root Beer Guy as they waved at the knights.

* * *

Hundreds of fire soldiers formed in front of the castle. The castle defended by hundreds of slimes. The slimes were armed with tanks and powerful weapons, while the elementals only had lances, their direct combat abilities, fire and a couple of catapults.

The general arrived, riding a fire wolf, and positioned himself in front of the army.

“No more time to waste”, he whispered, “Fire the catapults!”, he ordered.

Two big blazing rocks were fired at the slime army, which moved in order to avoid the hit. The slimes then fired with tanks, causing a couple of casualties in the Fire Army.

“Prepare for direct combat!”, yelled the army's general, “Charge!”.

The soldiers ran towards the slimes, whom responded in the same way. The two armies finally clashed, beginning the formal fight. The tanks and the catapults kept firing without rest. Houses and buildings around the battle ground suffered the collateral damage.

Soldiers from both armies splatted around the castle. Some of them seeking for a way to enter in it; others, pursuing their foes until death. The fight remained the same for a several minutes. The Fire Army couldn't make the slimes retreat nor the slimes could repel the rebels’s attack.

Then, in middle of the fight, a fire soldier approached to the general.

“Sir! There's a big group of slimes heading to the prison! The forces there will not be able to repel them! They are going for the King!”.

The general clenched his teeth in anger and worry.

“They knew we would attack here. It was a trap!”, he groaned. “Trumpet! Play retreat immediately!”.

The trumpet played and every soldier who could escape did it. After hearing the news from their general, they all headed as soon as they could back to the prison. They found it surrounded by a slime army bigger than the one in the castle. The few remaining soldiers in the prison were fighting back, but they wouldn't be enough.

The general ordered to surround the slimes, although that meant to fight with uneven forces. The fire soldiers charged and a new fight began.

One of the tanks shot hit nearly to the cell were Flame Princess was. It caused a great impact on the cell, making the three women there to fly away from their positions.

For Bubblegum, everything was fuzzy for several seconds and she couldn't hear anything beyond a high pitch noise. She got up on her feet weakly, rubbing her head and groaning.

“Flame Princess!”, she suddenly exclaimed.

She found the young ruler lying with her face on the ground. She ran at her and got her up. She was still breathing heavily, but breathing. There was a bruise in her forehead. She sat her against the wall and looked for Kala.

Bubblegum found the priestess at the other side of the cell, lying on her side. She dashed at her and helped her to sit.

“Kala! Are you ok?”.

“Yes... I'm ok”, replied Kala, weakly and coughing, “How is she?”.

“Alive but...”.

A sudden and repetitive beep interrupted her. It came from the bracelet. The sugary princess went back to the princess and checked the bracelet. What just minutes before were fifteen hours, turned into thirteen minutes.

“No! No! It can't be!”, yelled Bubblegum.

A group of fire soldiers arrived at the cell. They helped Kala and Bubblegum, and took the fiery ruler to another cell, at the other side of the prison.

Outside, the Slime and the Fire kept fighting. The forces were even at the beginning, with the fire elementals causing more casualties and injured than suffering them. But the tanks kept being a problem and the Fire Army couldn't do much against them. After an hour of fight, it was clear that the Fire Army had no chance against their foes, and the moral of its soldiers began to dim.

The Fire Army general looked around. He saw everything in slow motion. The slimes slaughtering his soldiers, the wounded men and women in the battle ground. The explosions of the tank shots breaking bones and rocks. He turned at the tank, about ten yards from him. He pointed his sword at it and yelled at it with all the air in his lungs.

Suddenly, he saw a fast blue smudge and the cannon of the tank fell. The blue smudge came again and its tracks fell too. The same happened with the rest of the tanks, until the blue smudge stopped and stood over one the tanks. Both armies stopped fighting and looked at him. A young man of blond locks, wearing all blue and with a right arm made of pure energy holding a mighty sword.

“I can't believe it...”, whispered the fire general, chills running down his spine, “Finn?”.

“Fire Army, don't give up!”, exclaimed Finn, “Fight for your freedom! Fight for your King!”.

The whole Fire Army roared in approval and charged again on their enemies. The slimes were taken by surprise for the sudden lift in the Fire Army's mood.

Finn jumped out from the tank and fought some slimes himself. Contrary at how the fire soldiers were fighting, he only left them unconscious or wounded enough to not be able to fight anymore. He knew they were not inherently evil or bad and so he didn't kill anyone from the slimes.

He felt a strong grasp on his right shoulder and looked back to face Flame Princess' brother.

“You got the heart?” he yelled, angry, scared, hopeful. Finn nodded. “You come with me, now!”, he said rapidly.

He took Finn, almost dragging him, towards the prison. They were blocked by slimes, having to fight to make their way to the prison.

“You don't fight bad to be a pity baby”, said the general while swinging his sword in the middle of the fight.

“I can say exactly the same”, replied Finn, with a smile and also fighting.

When they got rid of the last enemy, they dashed at the gates of the prison. It was quickly opened and closed behind them, to avoid any slime from entering. Finn and the general went up by the stairway until reaching the cell in which the king was. They found it destroyed and no one was inside. The general felt his heart stop. But a soldier approached to them and told them everyone was at the other side of the prison due to the risk of being hit by another tank shot.

Finn and the general dashed towards the cell where everyone was.

The human almost felt on his knees. The world stopped for him when he saw the princess on the bed, wearing her white gown. His breath was heavy and what in reality were seconds, he felt them running like long minutes.

He was taken out from that trance when Bubblegum took him from the shoulders and shook him.

“Ach mein Glob!”, exclaimed the princess, “You are here! You are finally here! Did you make it? Did you get it?”, she asked, frantically.

Finn nodded, but he never stopped looking at the fiery princess.

“That's great! Now, hurry up! We don't have much time, only ten minutes”.

“Ten minutes?”, Finn whispered.

“Hurry up, boy! My sister is dying!”, said the general.

The young man didn't say anything. He just walked, slowly, towards the bed. He knelt down and looked at the princess. Her flames were dim, her skin was grey and had no remaining at all of its bright colors. Her rebel, always blazing hair was now motionless; he could swear it was even shorter than before.

He looked at her face. She conserved the same soft skin than seven years ago, when he met her. There were some age marks on her face too, but they were sign of her maturity and her hard work. Her arms and legs were bigger than he remembered, and there were other parts of her body that had also grown with the time, but he didn’t want to look too long at them.

He dared to caress her face.

“H-Hey you! Wha-What are you doing?”, exclaimed the general, the flames in his head blazing.

“Shhh”, said Bubblegum to him, “Finn…”.

Flame Princess’ head turned at Finn, in an unconscious reaction from his touch. He saw the bruise in her forehead, close to her gem. He nodded to himself.

He opened his backpack and took the black rock chest from it. Kala, in the room, gasped when he saw the chest. Finn opened it, letting everyone see the flaming orb inside it. Bubblegum's eyes shone in awe and Kala smiled at the sight of it.

“It won't work”, said the general with gloom voice.

Bubblegum and Finn looked at him.

“What are you talking about?”, asked Bubblegum, somewhat angry.

“If the legends are true, and it seems they are, the Roaz heart won't work. Our father... our father descends from the families that fought against the Roaz. We are not worthy of that heart...”, he said with defeat, “There's no salvation for us”.

Finn looked back at the Roaz heart and smiled.

“What about your mother?”, he said.

“Our mother? What's with her?”, said the general, puzzled by the interrogation.

“When I was in the Behram Temple, I found a door that would only open with the ‘inherited blood’”, said Finn, as he took the heart between his hands. “I thought it meant the blood of someone who received the blood, but hadn’t been inherited it. Someone without children and that's why I used her fire to open it”.

Finn placed the heart just above Flame Princess' chest.

“But now I understand. Your mother was a Roaz”.

Finn let go of the heart, and it remained floating above Flame Princess. The heart, slowly, floated down until it went through the princess' body. It was shining through her, but the light died out after a few seconds.

Nothing was happening.

Finn frowned and clenched his fists. He was waiting for her to open her eyes and her flames to light up again. Everyone was waiting for it, but nothing was happening.

“I... I don't understand”, Finn gulped, “It should work! Why isn't it working!”. Finn began to freak out.

“I told you”, said the general, resigned, “There was nothing we could do”.

Princess Bubblegum tried to use her head in a last effort. Her mind was thinking faster than ever, looking for a solution in her almost infinite knowledge.

“It's a heart...”, she whispered. “Every heart transplant needs something to awake the new heart... We need something to put her heart working!”.

“But what?”, asked Finn.

“Kiss her!”, blurted Bubblegum immediately, “Kisses always magically revive the slumbering princesses!”.

“What?”, asked Finn, Kala and the general at the same time.

“I don't know!”, exclaimed Bubblegum, “I'm tired, stressed and my mind is blurting bull gunk!”, she cried out.

“Something to awake her... something to bring her back... A reason”, said Finn.

Finn took Flame Princess' hands in his.

“Phoebe… can you hear me? Please, listen to me”, he begged, “We... we need you, okay? Your people need you! They are suffering from this war, you can't let them behind”, he said.

The princess didn't wake up.

“Uhm... Cinnamon Bun! He wants to see you again! He wants to come here and see you but he's injured. He can't come until you get rid of those slimes so it will be safe for him to come here”.

Flame Princess didn't respond.

“I... I need you, okay?”, he said, with watering eyes. “But- But not like before. I need you to live. I need to see your smile again, to see you happy again. Because it's kinda my fault you are like this. I want to be with you, because you bring light to my world”, he sobbed. “Even if you don't like me like you used to, I need to see you again. You are very important to me. Phoebe... I just want you to keep living in this world, because I know you make it better if you are here”.

There was no reaction at all. Finn looked down and buried his face on the bed.

“I'll take you to a farmers market...”, he whispered, “And I'll let you burn it”.

Seconds of silence.

“That sounds like a good idea”, a weak whisper.

Gradually, from her toes to her head, her body recovered its flaming orange color. Her hair began to blaze again and it even grew a little. She inhaled deeply and then exhaled. The bruise in her forehead healed and she kept breathing deeply, but steady and normal. She moved her toes and her fingers. She sat on the bed and slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Finn at her side.

“But first, let me take the trash away from my kingdom”, she said.

Finn smiled at her and sighed in relief.

Kala approached to Flame Princess and hugged her tightly.

“Oh, my child! I'm so happy you are good! You had me worried to death”, she said, crying.

“I'm sorry, Kala”, said the young girl, hugging Kala, “I suppose I needed a rest”, she joked.

“Good to have you here again, my king”, said the general.

Flame Princess got up from the bed and dashed to hug her brother.

“I missed you too, brother”.

She surprised her brother, but he finally put all pride away and requited the hug. She separated from him brother and faced Princess Bubblegum.

“We are all happy you recovered. But, just to be sure, would you allow me to study your new heart's properties?”, said Bubblegum.

“We will discuss that later”, Flame Princess replied with a neutral voice. “Now, where's my armor?”.

“In the corner”, replied Kala.

Flame Princess casted her armor to cover her. Kala approached to her and put the crown on her head, setting her ready. The king thanked the priestess with a nod.

“Bubblegum you remain here with Kala”, she ordered. “And Finn...”, she said, extending her hand to the young man. “Would you accompany us in the fight?”.

Finn smiled and took her hand with his right hand.

“What time is it?” he asked.

“Freedom time!”, exclaimed the fiery ruler.

When the slimes saw the Flame King come out from the prison, half of the army retreated and ran away. The other half kept fighting but soon it was clear that they had no chance against the renewed power and morality of the whole Fire Army.

The battle kept its course the whole night. When they arrived to the castle, they found a retreating army and only a couple of hundreds of slime soldiers who fought back, against the thousand fire soldiers that were taking over the castle. After thirty minutes of fight, both inside and outside of the castle, the Fire Army completely recovered the castle and, along with it, the freedom of the Fire Kingdom.

The thousands of soldiers and a few civilians there cheered at the victory. They took their king in their shoulders, as well as the Fire Army general and Finn.

In the middle of the celebration, Finn heard Stormo's calling. The sphynx ran into the castle, with Cinnamon Bun on him.

“Oh, right!”, exclaimed Finn. “Flame Princess, you need to come with me. Quick!”, he said as he grabbed her hand and took her to his friends.

“My Glob!”, she gasped when she saw his injured knight. “CB! Are you ok?”.

“Yep”, he replied as Finn helped him to get down from Stormo, “It's just a leg. Remember what happened when we met for the first time?”.

“Of course I do!”, said the princess, smiling. “But this is way worst. Medic! We need a medic here, now!”, yelled the king.

Within seconds, a couple of military medics arrived, taking Cinnamon Bun with them to the hospital.

“Give him a special treatment. I want him recovered within days. No weeks. Days!”, she ordered.

“Is he gonna be all right?”, asked Bubblegum as she approached to Finn and Flame Princess.

“Yes, our medics are very good. It doesn't matter my previous case. They are gonna help him”, said the Flame King.

“And now what? The slimes are still out there and could counter attack?”, pointed out Finn.

“Yes. Without saying that we didn't find Goliad nor Blargetha here. They probably ran off to the Candy Kingdom when you started to gain terrain”, said Bubblegum.

“Then that would be a good thing!”, exclaimed Finn enthusiastically, “I found Rattleballs and RGB at the outskirts of the Candy Kingdom. They had hundreds of Rattleballs ready to fight!”, he exclaimed again, with his arms in the air, “They were gonna help other kingdoms to make the slimes retract all their forces to the Candy Kingdom and give a final strike there”.

“Then that's it”, said Flame Princess. “Princess Bubblegum, I, the Flame King, officially offer you my help to freed your kingdom and terminate the menace that the Slime Empire means to both of our kingdoms”.

Bubblegum smiled.

“I, Princess Bubblegum from the Candy Kingdom, gladly and humbly accept your help in the fight against the Slime Empire”, she said, shaking hands with the fiery ruler.

“Let be what we settled today the start of a friendly and long lasting relationship between our kingdoms”, said the Flame King.

“And the perfect excuse to massively kick slime butts”, replied Bubblegum.


	10. The Last Stand

“Are you kidding me?”, yelled Princess Bubblegum, “None of them will come even after we helped them with the slimes?”.

“Almost every kingdom said they didn't think they could be much of a help”, replied Root Beer Guy.

“And when we told them the Fire Kingdom would be our ally to convince them, they said that then it wouldn't be a problem, that it was enough with the Rattleballs and the Fire Army”, said Rattleballs.

“That's it! I'm sick of the other kingdoms apathy”, exclaimed Bubblegum. “When this is over, they are gonna know who they messed with”. The princess then proceeded to laugh in a mild maniac way, “They are not gonna know what happened. I'm gonna... cut the candy importations in a thirty percent”, and then she giggled.

Some feet away, Finn and Flame Princess were sitting on the grass, looking at the Candy Kingdom beneath the hill where their armies were getting ready for the attack.

“What are you gonna do after this, Finn? After the fight”, asked Flame Princess, throwing charred grass in the air.

“Meh, I don't know. Go to the house, play with BMO, eat some Finn cupcakes and then rest a little”.

“Finn cupcakes? What is that?”, asked Flame Princess, tilting her head.

“I never showed you? Wow, what a bad boyfriend I was!”, exclaimed Finn, giggling and making the princess giggle too.

“You don't need to tell me”, said Flame Princess and they both laughed.

“They are cupcakes that look like me, even with my hat! You know? I think I can make some Flame Princess cupcakes too”.

“Seriously? That would be awesome!”, exclaimed Flame Princess with shinning eyes. “Oh, by the way, where is your hat?”.

Finn was confused at the beginning, but then he remembered when he felt the cold breeze of the morning through his golden locks. In the last three days, the preparations for the big fight had him distracted enough to not think about his hat's fate. But when he remembered, he felt strange, he felt he was not the same.

“It's... a long story. Do you mind if I tell you after the fight?”.

Flame Princess clenched her lips but understood the young man.

“Okay, Finn. I will wait”.

“And... what are you planning to do after the fight, Phoebe?”.

“Well, there's not much of an option, you know? Probably rest, but just one night. Then I gotta go back to my royal duties. I have to watch over the reconstruction of my kingdom, I have to give honor medals, I have to watch over for the peace and happiness of my people”. She sighed. “I'll just go back to my normal boring life. Don't misunderstand me, it's something important. I love my people and I want to see them happy. But, sometimes, I wish I was still living in the grasslands, being kind of carefree”, she said with melancholic eyes.

Finn watched her and worried at those eyes. What if the heart became weak again because of her melancholy? What if her life was in danger again?

“Hey! You are a king”, said Finn, making Flame Princess look at him, “I'm sure you can take some time for yourself. Leave CB in charge. You can come to my house and we will play BMO! We will go in dungeon crawling with you in the lead! I'll show you how to bake cupcakes!”, exclaimed the young man.

Flame Princess giggled.

“That would be very nice. But I don't know if I could take some vacations soon”.

“Take one or two days a week. It won't make any bad if you leave for one day. You don't even have to go out with me. Just wander around Ooo, by yourself if you want! I just want you to have a better life. I feel kind of guilty for you being about to die. More than once because of me, in fact”, he said, hanging down his head.

Flame Princess smiled at the man and put her hand on his shoulder to give him reassurance.

“Ok, Finn. I'm gonna give myself some time when this all ends”.

“Guys, get ready!”, they heard Bubblegum, “We are starting to march in a couple of minutes!”.

Both Finn and Flame Princess got on their feet, shaking off the grass from their hands.

“Oh! Did you talk with your army about not killing the slimes, just injure them?”, asked Finn.

“Yes. They said they would _try_ to make their best at it”, replied Flame Princess, nonchalantly.

“Um... okay...”, said Finn with disappointment.

Flame Princess giggled.

“If it makes you feel better, my brother and I will not...”.

“I don't promise anything”, they heard the Fire Army general from afar.

Flame Princess rolled her eyes but keeping her smile.

“I promise to not kill anyone”.

“Thank you, Phoebe”.

Finn and Flame Princess went to take their places in front of their assigned companies. There were four companies: in the far left, Finn and Rattleballs; in center left, Princess Bubblegum and Root Beer Guy; in the center right, Fire King and Cinnamon Bun; in the far right, Fire King's brother.

“Hey, thanks for the armor”, said Bubblegum to Flame Princess. She was wearing a brown armor, slimmer than the king's one but still protective. Her hair in a pony tail and she was handling a sword with her right hand.

“No problem. Part of this military agreement”, replied the Flame King before taking her place in front of her company.

“March, now!”, ordered the Fire Army's general.

One after another, the companies marched towards the Candy Kingdom gates. There, Blargetha was waiting, watching from one of the towers in the castle. She could see the thousands of enemies approaching to her last position. Every other kingdom in Ooo had been liberated. Even his father's power was restored in the Slime Kingdom after a rebellion supported by the Rattleballs. Her rage overpowered her reason; she had ordered to have her sister executed that noon. But the approaching invasion made her postpone it.

Mortars were shot from the inside of the Candy Kingdom towards the allied forces. Flame Princess casted a fire roof over the armies, making the mortars explode in the air.

They had enough with that. Every commander in each company gave the order to charge against the walls of the kingdom. Flame Princess flew in the air and destroyed the gate they were aiming at and great part of the wall around it. The first company of Rattleballs that arrived put wood tables over the river boarding the kingdom to ease the access for more soldiers.

Due to the Rattleballs being bulletproof, Finn and Chief Rattleballs' company was the first to enter and contain the slimes in the first line. After them, entered the General's company, that would destroy the tanks with volcanic grenades. Cinnamon Bun's and Flame Princess' company would help Finn's to open the way for Bubblegum's company to take over the castle.

The sound of roars, blades clashing and laments were heard all over the kingdom. The tanks fired, destroying some Rattleballs and injuring the fire soldiers. The tanks were then blown away by volcanic grenades thrown inside their cannons.

Flame Princess, from the air and with a renewed strength, destroyed a couple of tanks by herself. She also shot at empty spaces between slimes to let them stunned and out of fight. Finn kept fighting with the slimes, injuring them and letting them unconscious. Bubblegum was a little more ruthless and swung her sword at anything that blocked her way to the castle, not caring about the fate of such obstacles.

A tank shot, one of the last ones, hit near to Bubblegum. Finn saw that and abandoned his position to aid his friend. He found her laying on her side in the ground between several pieces of mutilated Rattleballs, but alive. Bruises in her forehead and left cheek. He helped her to get up.

“Are you ok?”, he asked, worried to death.

“I'm fine! Don't let your position behind, you are important!”, exclaimed Bubblegum. “Return to your company. I'm gonna be fine, I swear”, she said kindly to him.

Finn nodded and returned to his place in the battle.

Blargheta, in a bunker inside the castle, heard the constant negative reports of her general and commanders about the battle outside. She had had enough and exploded.

“You all are fools!”, she yelled, “Take out the flipping Titans and let's end this once and for all! No remorse, no mercy! Destroy them all! Shoot at them, I don't care if we kill some of our soldiers! Bring me Bubblegum's and Finn's heads on a plate! And you better find your replacements because after this fight you are all fired!”, she yelled, hitting the table.

Outside, the battle continued. There were only three tanks remaining and they were running out of bullets. The General's company was ready to celebrate when they heard big and loud footsteps coming closer. In fact, the whole battleground stopped the fight just to see the Titans coming into scene. Eleven Titans entered in the battle and raised their hands, aiming at the allied forces. They shot laser beams followed by big explosions in the in the place they hit. The slimes took confidence and attacked the allies.

Flame Princess tried throwing one of her best attacks against the robots, just to discover they were immune to fire. She barely dodged the laser beam that was shot at her in response. She went down to the ground, behind Bubblegum.

“Ok, we really need to know how to stop your sons. They must have a weakness, a flaw, for Glob's sake!”, she cried, “You made them! You must know!”, she said as she shot fire against the slimes in front of her, covering Bubblegum's back.

“I'm thinking! I'm thinking!”, replied Bubblegum, swinging her sword at the slimes in front of her. “I got it! You can't destroy them but you can incapacitate them! Make them fall, make them unable to move!”, she exclaimed.

“I'll tell my brother”. Flame Princess flew up again and encountered her brother. She told him how to stop them and she returned to her company.

The General's soldiers took the remaining volcanic bombs they had and ropes. A first line dashed through the laser beams of the Titans, avoiding flying rocks and candy sand on their eyes. They reached the Titans and attached the volcanic bombs at their feet. When the bombs blew up, some of the mechanical legs were destroyed, enough to make them fall but most of the bombs made holes in the ground that made the Titans trip. The second line use the ropes to tie up the Titans and nailed them to the ground. The third line climbed the fallen Titans and took the operating slimes out of the robots.

Still, three Titans remained in fight, shooting at the soldiers that approached to them.

“I want them down, now!”, ordered the Fire Army's general.

A group of soldiers took bombs and ran towards the Titans. However, they stopped at mid run, lighted up the bombs and threw them at their general. He dodged the bombs, but his leg was injured by grapeshot.

“What are you doing, fools?”, he cried, “What in the world was that?”.

The soldiers approached to their general menacingly, with lances and bombs. They had their gaze fixed on him, they didn't blink and their are eyes seemed to have turned purple.

“I won't let you destroy our perfect system”, said Goliad from the walls of the Candy Kingdom, with her third eye out. “What a better way to stop you all than with your own soldiers”, she smiled.

She was interrupted when Stormo tackled her and they both rolled down to the ground.

The fire soldiers snapped out from their state and, after being scolded by their general, they confusedly helped him to get up and find a medic.

“So, you are finally here, brother?”, said Goliad, getting on her feet.

“Kaw!”, replied Stormo, angrily.

“It can't be stopped, brother. There's no way back”.

“Kaw! Kaw!”, replied Stormo, even angrier.

“You won't stop me! You won't put me into that eternal fight again. I've always thought physical encounter was for the ignorant and the weak. But any sacrifice will be worth it for the sake of a better world”.

With that, Goliad launched herself against Stormo, biting his neck and scraping his ribs. Stormo cried in pain but he managed to get Goliad out of himself. It was his turn to attack. He stumped on her while she was down in the ground, but she used her third eye to make him fly and crash against the wall. She repeated it three more times until Stormo used a psychic beam to stop her.

He got on her and started to peck her with no rest. She kicked him in the ribs, making him lose air and fall. She used her psychic powers to drag him on the ground for several seconds until she lifted him in the air and made him fall hard to the ground. The sand lifted up by the hit made unclear the fate of the sphinx. Then, Stormo jumped towards her sister and, in a single and rapid movement, he used his beak to cut out her sisters third eye. Goliad cried in pain. Stormo rapidly returned to her sister and used his beak to asphyxiate her.

They both fell on the ground, tired, with no strength left. And they closed their eyes.

Meanwhile, thanks to the Fire Army's saboteurs, there were no Titans left.

“PB, now is the time! The road is clear!”, said Finn, approaching to her.

Bubblegum nodded and hers and Finn's company began to run towards the castle.

“Phoebe, knock the door for us, would you?”, asked PB through a communicator.

“My pleasure”, replied Flame Princess, sending a fire ball to the door of the castle. “I'm coming with you, guys! I want to give Blargetha a lesson”, she said, dashing towards the moving companies.

They entered, finding some resistance in the inside. Barely forty soldiers in the inside and thirty more in the halls of the castle. While they were inside, fighting in the halls, Flame Princess received a message.

“ _Sister, we are done here. Titans and tanks have been destroyed. The rest of the slimes have been neutralized and made prisoners. Do you want some help there?_ ”.

“No, thanks. We are fine. We almost reach the dungeon”.

Five minutes later, the two companies and Flame Princess made it to the dungeon, where they found the Slime Princess about to be executed. Finn extended his telekinetic arm, punching the executioner away.

Princess Bubblegum helped Slime Princess to get rid of her ropes.

“Thank you! Thank you for rescuing me! I never thought I would survive here”, sobbed the princess.

“Easy, Slime P. Everything is fine now”, Bubblegum comforted her while she was untying her. “Do you know where Blargetha is at?”.

“She's at the North Tower. Please, take care”.

“We will, SP”, replied Finn. “Time to get moving. She's the only one now”.

The take-over company dashed to the North Tower. They climbed the stairs until reaching the door to the main room in the tower. They positioned themselves at the sides of the door. A first group of Rattlaballs took down the door, just to be received by a laser beam that turned them into ashes.

Finn looked at Bubblegum and Flame Princess at the other side of the door. He made a 'welp' face and ordered his company to rapidly enter in the room. They were once again blasted by Blargetha but some of the Rattleballs could enter, distracting her. The rest of the companies entered in the room. The three commanders saw their soldiers fighting against a Titan, two times bigger than the others. Their swords couldn't do anything against that metal and all of them got destroyed.

“Well, well, well! What do we have here?”, asked Blargetha, mockingly and making her Titan bent down to confront them. “You are the people who destroyed my empire!”, she roared.

The robot raised its fist and tried to hit the three commanders. They jumped just in time to avoid being crushed down.

Flame Princess rolled away and, when she could, blasted a continuous fire burst against the robot, to no avail. Blargetha laughed.

“You think that will be enough? This baby absorbs any energy you throw at it! Thanks for the extra energy”, she mocked.

“Then let's see how much energy you can take”, said Finn, approaching to the fiery princess. He swung his telekinetic arm like if it was a whip and blasted its energy towards the Titan along with Flame Princess’ fire.

“Yes! Give me more! Give this baby more of your power!”, Blargetha laughed hysterically.

“No! Stop! You don't know what you are doing!”, exclaimed Bubblegum.

“What?”, said Finn and Flame Princess at the same time.

“Stop it now! You are going to kill us all!”.

“But... won't she overpower and fail with our energy?”, asked Finn.

“That's precisely the problem. You both stop that right now!”.

Both Finn and Flame Princess ceased with their attacks (much to the young king’s disappointment) and stepped back.

The robot remained still until it hunched and made strange sounds. Blargetha's seat was launched, making her hit in the roof and go through it. The seat came down with a parachute. Blargetha was still alive and laughing maniacally.

“Why are you laughing so much?”, Flame Princess yelled in anger.

“Ask your pinky friend, she must know”, she responded with a devious grin.

“No, no, no. Why this? Why now?” said Bubblegum, frantic.

“PB, what is happening? This is obviously serious so I want you to tell us all the truth”, demanded Finn.

“The battery for the robot is nuclear. It takes the neutrons from the energy that is shot at it and converts them in energy and stores it. It reacts with uranium two hundred and thirty three and plutonium two hundred thirty nine”, she said as she opened a plaque of metal in the back of the robot. There was a big metallic orb with a digital screen. It marked:

“ _Catastrophic reaction. Destruction of the core in 3:00 minutes_ ”, and it counted the seconds down.

“The energy you gave it made it unstable and triggered a catastrophic reaction. Your neutrons acted as catalysts for the nuclear reaction. If we don't get rid of this, it will destroy everything in a radius of ten of miles”.

In that instant, a group of Rattleballs and Fire Soldiers entered in the room. Finn asked them to take Blargetha out to the dungeon.

“You see?”, said Blargetha, smiling, “If I fall, you all will fall with me. You spread disease through my empire and now it's time to get rid of it. No matter where you take it, that bomb will destroy you!”, she laughed maniacally again as the soldiers handcuffed her and took her out of the room.

Finn and Flame Princess approached to the robot to watch the battery. It almost occupied the whole back of the robot.

“Why would you create something so dangerous? What is wrong with you?”, asked Flame Princess, terrified, remembering how far the candy princess could go.

“I was in a stage, ok? The stage of 'there's nothing to power the things that will protect my kingdom but radiation'. Six hundred years ago!”.

“Ok PB, what do we do? We only have three minutes and I don't think we could take that huge thing out of the kingdom in time”.

“We have no time nor space. Wherever we took that thing out, is gonna destroy a kingdom or a forest or the grasslands”, said Flame Princess.

“Not to mention the probable nuclear fallout the explosion could bring with it”, said Cinnamon Bun after he reached the room and heard the discussion.

“We don't have any space... in ground”, said Flame Princess in a tone of realization, “What about the sky?”.

“That... could work...”, said Bubblegum, her hand in her chin. “But how are we gonna take it that far up in time?”.

“I can do it!”, said Flame Princess, floating in the air with a burst of fire in her feet.

“But how are you going to carry it?”, asked Cinnamon Bun.

“I'll carry it!”, exclaimed Finn.

Finn made his telekinetic arm grow bigger and grabbed the battery. With a big effort, he took it out of the robot until it hit the ground. It made Bubblegum gasp and clinch in terror, but for her relief, nothing happened. The young man dragged the battery until the great window in the room, which Flame Princess made crumble in thousands of pieces of molten glass.

“Shall we do it?”, asked Flame Princess, grabbing Finn by his waist.

Finn nodded and embraced the princess. They got immediately blasted into the air thanks to the princess' fire.

Cinnamon Bun and Princess Bubblegum covered themselves from the fire that almost engulfed the whole room. Once it faded away, they approached to the window and saw their best friends fly up in the sky to save Ooo.

“Wait a second. How are they going to...?”, Bubblegum cut her own words when the facts hit her brain. “Oh my Glob! They can't go there! They can die!”.

“Obviously, they are carrying a nuclear bomb”, replied Cinnamon Bun.

“Not for the bomb! The oxygen! The levels of oxygen in the high atmosphere are way lower than here. Finn will suffocate and Flame Princess fire will die out!”.

Cinnamon Bun eyes were wide open. His heart was beating faster than any other time he could remember. He looked back up in the sky. His fear for what could happen was indescribable.

“No matter what they do...”, said Bubblegum with a knot in her throat and she gulped, “They are gonna die...”.

“Phoebe”, whispered Cinnamon Bun.

Finn and Flame Princess kept going up. They had almost minute and half flying up when Finn began to feel the cold cutting his face. His teeth began to tremble. He was afraid that tremble could go to his arm and lost grasp from Flame Princess. He remembered. He looked at her.

Her clenched teeth were trembling as well, but he knew it was worst for her. He noticed how her flames seemed dimmer than before. He knew she was having problems, he knew she could not stand the cold and the humidity between the clouds. It was very cloudy at that altitude.

“Phoebe, stop!”, he yelled.

“What?”, she yelled as well, beginning a war of yells in the sky.

“You can't do this, is hurting you! Let's just... throw it in the ocean!”.

“We can't just throw it in the ocean! Fish would die!”.

“What does it matter?”

“It matters to me”, she yelled, angrily, leaving Finn with no words. “You showed me the beauty of this world and if I can do something to protect it, to avoid the suffering from any living creature on it, I will do it!”.

“No, please!”, replied Finn, “I don't want to be the hero like this! I don't want to be the hero if you die!”.

Flame Princess looked back at him and smiled.

“Then I suppose there's a vacant for hero”, she said, “If you don't want to be the hero, I will!”, she exclaimed vigorously.

She blasted fire from her feet and her flames lit up again. Finn smiled at the sight of her filled with so much power and life.

Then, the bomb made a sound. It was a voice.

“ _Fifty seconds for catastrophic reaction_ ”.

“Phoebe, I think it kept absorbing our energy and we ran out of time sooner! We have to drop it now!”.

“Just couple of miles more”, she said with clenched teeth and furious gaze.

“Forty seconds”.

“Phoebe, when?”.

“Just a little more”.

“Thirty seconds”.

“Phoebe, please, when?”, he began to feel the suffocation.

“Almost there”.

“Fifteen seconds”.

“Phoebe!”, he yelled, barely perceptible; he was running out of air.

“Now!” she commanded.

Finn swung his arm with the bomb and finally threw it up. As soon as he did, his telekinetic arm gave up and retracted, just like Flame Princess fire. They both embraced and began to fall all the way down. Seconds after, they saw the big explosion in the air. They had to close their eyes to avoid them from getting burned by the bright. They embraced tighter. They were trembling.

“We did it?” she asked, weakly.

“Yes, we did it” he replied, with a weak smile.

“Good”.

They kept falling.

“Are we gonna die?”.

“Maybe”.

“That's not good”.

The cold wind decided to join the embrace.

“Phoebe, I'm really sorry. For everything. This wouldn't happen if it wasn't for me. I wanted you to live and now...”.

“Shh”, said the Flame Princess. “I know. This heart has showed me your soul, Finn. I know it all. Just, hug me. You are very important to me”, she whispered.

Finn did so and hugged her, burying his face on her shoulder.

“I love you, Phoebe”.

“I love you too, Finn”.

A white angel approached the scene. The angel, touched by their selfless efforts and unconditional love, decided to not let them feel the pain of death. The angel took the two tired warriors before they could hit the ground and flew with them. Their destiny, a castle. A place with big gates and sweet smells, where the youth could find peace and rest among other warriors. They were received like heroes, the people in the castle cheered their actions, but they remained unconscious. An ancient voice was heard in the castle, ready to receive the two heroes. The lady approached them and caressed their faces. The things they had done really touched her at the point of stealing a pair of rare and magical tears from her eyes.

Her ancient voice spoke again. It was commanding. She asked for beds and help and the best potions to cure their wounds.

“Prepare the oxygen chamber! We still have a chance!”.

Soldiers of fire and rock took their bodies to their place of rest and recovering.

The ancient lady of pink skin approached the white angel and hugged him.

“Thanks, Stormo”.


	11. A New Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I made a mistake the other day and this is actually the last chapter of this fic. I'm so glad you all read it, thank you so much for your comments, kudos, bookmarks and engagement in general. I may be thinking in a sequel for this but more romantic, although it's a not a sure thing. And, if it happens, it's gonna be a good while.
> 
> Anyways, thanks a lot again for reading! Enjoy the last chapter and let me know your thoughts. See ya!

_One week later...._

“So… now you both can touch each other?”, asked Jake, grinning, sitting across Finn in the table. It was a calm morning in the treefort, a very welcomed one by the adventure duo after the events that had transpired just the week before.

“Yes. I didn’t even realize what we had done until we woke up in the hospital”, said Finn, before munching his pancake. “Ahura told me the flame they left inside me was a gift but I seriously didn’t think of this”, said Finn, with food in his mouth.

“And aren’t you excited about it?”

“Of course I am!”, the human exclaimed, still with the food in his mouth and then he swallowed it. “When we got up from our beds, we held hands and jumped all over the place”.

“Did you smooch lips?”, asked Jake with a bigger grin.

Finn choked on his food and hit his chest to get the food out of his respiratory system.

“Haha! I knew it! My little bro has a girlfriend again!” teased the dog.

“Jake!”

“And now you have full and unrestricted access with her”

“ _Jake!!!_ ”, exclaimed Finn, louder than before. “Nothing happened. I didn’t kiss her and we are not a couple. We are just friends”.

“But- I heard you for six years sigh at her, stare with melancholy at every bonfire or candle and whisper-wishing she was with you again”.

“That last part is not true”, Finn claimed.

“You sleep talk, bro”.

Finn sighed in both resignation and annoyance.

“Well, yes. I used to wish everything was like before”, he confessed. “But I just wanted _her_ to come back _at me_. I wanted her. But I didn’t think about what she wanted and that’s the main reason we broke up in the first place”.

Jake frowned, pitying his brother. He left his place in front of Finn and sat at his side. He put his paw around Finn.

“I understand, Finn. You have matured and I’m happy to see that. You are a grown-up man now and you have left your selfish motives behind. I just wish you hadn’t left your hat behind too”.

Finn and Jake laughed and shared a long tight hug.

“Thanks bro”, whispered Finn.

“Hey! But you haven’t told me if you are going to try again”, said Jake, with a mischievous grin.

Finn kept smiling at his brother.

“This one I definitely knew it! Are you going to ask her out?”.

“Maybe. But not right now. We just bonded again after so many years and ask her right away after everything that has happened, after she almost died… It’s not the right time yet. Besides, it doesn’t matter if I want to ask her, but if she wants to give me another chance”.

“I’m sure she will! Just look at you! A strong, handsome man with lots of gold under his house and the abilities to protect a family in a fight. You are the dream of any girl, I tell you!”, exclaimed Jake, messing with Finn’s golden hair.

Finn giggled and fixed his hair. He then looked at the clock. It was nine and twenty five in the morning.

“I better go. The ceremony at the Fire Kingdom begins at ten o’clock. I don’t want them to get mad at me for being late”, he joked, getting up from his chair and walking towards the door.

“Good luck there, Knight of the Crossed Candy Canes Order!”, said Jake.

Finn looked at the two crossed candy canes medal in his shirt that Bubblegum gave to him two days before in another ceremony at the Candy Kingdom, awarding him for his services to the Candy Kingdom. He was the first person ever to receive that award. He smiled before leaving the house.

After almost thirty minutes of walk, he arrived at the gates of the castle in the Fire Kingdom. He greeted the guards and told them the reason of his visit; they led him in as they had orders to escort him to the Great East Garden where the ceremony would be celebrated. They left him behind the stage assembled in the garden, where the rest of the people who would participate in the ceremony was. He talked first with Princess Bubblegum.

“Hey, PB! How are the prisoners?”.

“Locked and nice. I left Goliad in cryogenic dream that should last for eternity or until the planet gets destroyed, whatever happens first. As for Blargetha, she was indicted and found guilty of several charges, the main one being the coup d’état she performed. She is in a maximum-security prison in the Slime Kingdom I helped to build, with three Rattleballs as guards”.

“And what about the Candy Kingdom and your people?”.

“Thanks to the Rattleballs and Root Beer Guy most of them could return to their reconstructed houses. The rest are staying in the castle, but it won’t be for long”.

“Yo, Finn”, exclaimed Flame Princess upon seeing Finn. She walked towards him and they greeted with a tight and brief hug. “I’m glad you could come”.

“Of course I would come!”, he replied while breaking the hug. “I will try to not let you down never again”.

“That’s nice, Finn. Come on, we were only waiting for you”, she said and, with a hand motion, she invited him and the rest of the people there to get on the stage.

As soon as the King appeared up there, she was cheered by her people. She waved and smiled at them. Princess Bubblegum, the Fire Army’s General, three more fire soldiers, Cinnamon Bun and Finn took their sit at the back of the stage, while Flame Princess walked towards a lectern.

“My dear and beloved fire people”, she spoke, “It has been a hard month, for all of us. Fortunately, thanks to the brave efforts of our armed forces and our alliance with the Candy Kingdom, peace has returned to our home. We can live peacefully again. But that doesn’t mean that we are going to forget all of those who gave their lives to accomplish this. They will always be present in the thoughts of their families, in the heart of all the people of this kingdom, in my heart. This monolith here, with their names craved on it, will forever be a reminder of their sacrifice and our infinite gratitude towards them”.

Flame King’s speech was received with long and effusive round of claps from the crowd and the people on the stage.

“There are other people we have to thank for their services given during those dark days”, she spoke again, “Thanks to our alliance with the Candy Kingdom we were able to completely defeat the menace of the Slime Empire in the battlefield. And thanks to the help of the Rattleballs guardians the reconstruction of our kingdom is at eighty five percent in just four days. Princess Bubblegum, please, step to the front”.

Princess Bubblegum did so and Flame Princess walked towards her, with a red and gold striped band in her hands.

“For your help towards this kingdom and its ruler in their time of need, I give you the band of the Royal Bonfire, the greatest distinction this kingdom can give to another ruler”.

Bubblegum bowed down for Flame Princess to put the band on her. Then they shook hands and shared a hug, which was received with another round of applauses.

After that, three fire soldiers received Golden Hearts Medals for their courage in the war, in representation of a bigger group that received their medals after the main event. The king also gave a Red Gem Medal to her brother, the general Roaz. When she said his surname, amazed whispers could be heard from the clapping crowd.

“Finally, but not less important, two people who put their lives in danger to bring peace, light and life to our hearts”, she spoke and smiled. “Cinnamon Bun and Finn Mertens, please, step to the front”.

Finn and Cinnamon Bun got up from their chairs and stood on the stage in front of the people reunited there. The Flame King approached with a small dark brown box in her hands, the same color than her armor.

“In gratitude for your actions, that will never be gratified enough, I give you the Medal of the Fire Wings”.

The King opened the box, letting them see two golden medals with an eagle-like shape, facing at its right. Its wings, however, were irregular and seemed to resemble fire rather than feathers. It had a sword in its left claw and a shield in the right claw.

“With this…”, said the king as she put the medal in Finn’s shirt, “You are bestowed by my blessing as a knight of the Fire Kingdom”.

The people cheered and clapped again when the knights and the king shared a brief and formal hug. Both knights returned to their seat.

“A new sun has risen! Our days will not be dark ever again! There is new fire running among us and giving us its warm. The Fire Kingdom has triumphed!”.

The King got a deafening roar from fire people in there.

The ceremony ended. The crowd left the place and the people on stage went down, to the back of it.

The soldiers and Bubblegum surrounded the Flame King, talking with her, shaking hands and thanking for the awards. Finn watched from afar, content to see his longtime friend smile again.

“You made a great job back there, Finn”, said Cinnamon Bun, approaching to the young man.

“We made a great job, CB. I couldn’t do it if it wasn’t for you”, he said with a smile that suddenly became a frown of regret. “I’m sorry for the things I made to you. I was such a fool”.

“It’s okay, Finn. There are no grudges against you inside me. You have grown, you have realized things and, more important, she’s alive. I couldn’t get the Roaz Heart by myself, I needed you”.

Finn frowned again, now confused. He looked back at Cinnamon Bun.

“Why is that?”.

“The heart knows who enters in the Temple. It sees in the soul of that person. Only someone with true and strong feelings towards the person in dismay could get that heart. My feelings for Phoebe are true and strong, no doubt. But yours are way stronger than mine. The Flame of Revelation would only burn within someone with those feelings”.

“You knew that all the time and never told me?”, Finn asked.

“Not all the time, just until minutes before from the beginning of our journey, thanks to her”.

From the back of Cinnamon Bun, the old fire priestess appeared.

“Mistress Kala!”, exclaimed Finn.

“I knew you could do it, young man. I saw all that passion and love towards her in your eyes. You accomplished your task and have succeeded in becoming the knight you were meant to be”.

Finn couldn’t resist and hugged the old lady.

“Thanks so much for believing in me”, he whispered.

Kala gently broke the hug.

“You deserve a lot of good things. And she’s the best thing you can find in this world”, the priestess said, pointing at Flame Princess.

“I know she is. But I’ve learned to hear her first before anything in my mind or my heart. I can’t go places she doesn’t want me to go with her”.

“You are both young, you have a lot of time to live. Make all you can to show her how much you love her”, said Kala.

“I’ll try, mistress”, replied Finn with a smile.

“Hear me, Finn”, said Cinnamon Bun, with a serious gaze, “I agree with anything Kala says. But if you hurt her and make her suffer, I’ll just fulfill my obligations as her knight. Understood?”.

“Defs”, replied Finn.

“Oh, here she comes! Remember, Finn: little sparks can ignite a big fire”, said Kala, winking at Finn.

Cinnamon Bun and Kala left Finn as Flame Princess approached to him.

“Do you like your medal?”, asked Flame Princess.

“It’s really beautiful. As beautiful as… um… everything here”, said Finn with a nervous grin. “ _Danngit! I had six years to improve chats like these and I didn’t do anything!_ ”, he thought.

“You like the Fire Kingdom?”, asked the ruler, with incredulous grin.

“Well, yeah. It has… great wonders and beautiful eyes- gardens! I meant gardens!”, he abruptly said.

Flame Princess giggled.

“You may be older, but you keep being the same dork I met years ago”.

“Hehe. Well, if that makes you smile, I think I’ll keep being a dork until I die”.

Flame Princess grinned, making her cheeks bigger, and she giggled again. Finn could swear he saw a faint blush there.

“You amaze me, Finn. I wish I could be as cheerful as you”.

“Maybe… showing you a little of my world could help. Let’s go explore a little, shall we?”.

Flame Princess was surprised by the proposition. She looked at her sides and then at Finn. She smiled and leaned towards Finn.

“Let’s go while nobody is watching”, she whispered. Then she launched out her armor from her, leaving her only in a comfortable white gown.

They held hands and went running to the nearest exit from the castle and later from the kingdom. They walked until reaching the grasslands. In that moment, the princess let go from the young man’s hand.

“ _Should I flirt with her right now? How do I do it?_ ”, thought Finn.

He looked at her. She extended her arms and started spinning around. He loved that smile and the fact that she was finally enjoying some time outside of her kingdom, time for herself.

And Flame Princess felt exactly like that. She felt infinite joy just in spinning around, feeling the fresh wind with grass smell. Even when she was already made of fire, the warm of the sun felt very pleasant on her skin. Before she knew it, she was naively dancing, moving her arms and legs along a song she was humming to herself. She took deep breaths, feeling her new heart beating against her chest.

“I missed this place”, she whispered.

“ _Nah, this is her moment. She deserves it and I’m not gonna ruin it with awkward situations_ ”, thought Finn, smiling. “ _Kala said it: We have plenty of time. Right now, this time is for her_ ”.

THE END.


End file.
